There are many ways to see how God was faithful at the very first Easter, how He is faithful now, and how He will continue to be faithful forever.
Easter is God’s faithfulness on display for a jubilant church and a world longing for hope and good news. If we ever find ourselves doubting if God is faithful, we just need to come back to the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the cross, we see prophecies from the Old Testament being fulfilled, the greatest rescue mission of a suffering Savior, and the purest act of love that the world has ever known.
There are many ways to see how God was faithful at the very first Easter, how He is faithful now, and how He will continue to be faithful forever.
God Is Faithful in Keeping His Promises from Beginning to End
From the very beginning, God had a plan to save His people. God was faithful to His word to Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed His command by eating the fruit, they would die (Genesis 2:17). His justice and mercy were both clearly displayed right from the start. They did not die right away, and God would be the one to cover their nakedness and shame with animal skin (Genesis 3:21). This pointed to a greater covering that Jesus would provide by His blood on the cross for the sin of His people.
After the fall of Adam and Eve, God dealt firstly with the accuser, Satan. In Genesis 3:15, God said to the serpent who had tempted Eve to disobey, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
The offspring from Eve that would crush the serpent would be Jesus. Right from the start there was a Savior who would come into the world. It was the cross that struck the Son of God, yet on the cross it was where Jesus gained the victory over sin and death. The time of the evil one is running out and God’s fire will consume him forever (Revelation 20:10). Jesus will be faithful to deal once and for all with evil, and restore all creation where there will be a new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13).
God the Father Is Faithful to Jesus the Son
The resurrection shows God’s faithfulness to not let His Son Jesus see decay. Although Jesus was in the tomb, three days later He rose from the grave. Psalm 16:10 points to this wonderful promise saying: “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” Jesus was not left to rot, but triumphed victoriously over the power of death.
The Father was faithful to exalt the Son after He humbled Himself to die on the cross. He exalted Him to the highest place, giving Him the name above every name, where at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and “every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
The Cross Is the Ultimate Display of God’s Faithfulness to Us
One of the most well-known verses of God’s faithfulness is: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It was because of God’s love for us that He came in the person of Jesus Christ to take our sin upon Himself. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” He is faithful to forgive our sin, and Easter is a time to reflect upon this free gift of grace bestowed on us. Even in our unfaithfulness, He remains faithful.
In the wonderful hymn How Deep the Father’s Love it says:
“Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.”
Easter is a sobering reminder of the reality that our own sin was upon Jesus at the cross. Equally, it is a beautiful truth that Jesus has brought us life through His sacrifice. It was His faithful love that endured the scorn and the shame, grafting us into His family, where we can call His Father our own. We are adopted as sons and daughters (Romans 8:15). At Easter, we can reflect on the faithfulness of our Redeemer, Savior, Friend and the love of God, our Father.
Jesus Is Faithful to Care for His Disciples
Leading up to His death, Jesus briefed His disciples on what was to happen to Him (Matthew 16:21). He prepared them ahead of time, despite their limited understanding of all that was to come. When He was raised from the dead, all the things He had shared before His death became clear to them (John 2:22; John 12:16). He does not leave any of His followers without help, and sends the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to be with us (John 14:15-31).
At the foot of the cross, when Jesus was dying, He made sure that His mother, Mary, was cared for. In John 19:26-27, it says, “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” John, one of Jesus’ closest friends and followers, was to care for Mary after Jesus died. Mary was losing her son, and the comfort that John would provide would most certainly have been needed and welcomed at such a painful time in her life.
This revealed again God’s care and compassion. Even in great suffering He looked to the needs of His followers.
The Lord continues to intercede before the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34). He cares deeply for us including the hidden struggles and the smallest details of our lives (Luke 12:7; Matthew 6:26). Nothing in all of creation is hidden from Him (Hebrews 4:13). We can rest secure knowing how loved we are by God, who never slumbers (Psalm 121:4-5). At Easter, we can come to Him once again knowing how loved we are by Him as we seek to love others as He did and continues to.
Easter Reminds Us Jesus Is Risen, He Will Return, and Believers Will Rise Again
Jesus is alive and the resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday with much jubilation, singing, thankfulness and joy. Songs at church throughout the year often remind us of God’s faithfulness at the cross and the wonderful hope of the resurrection. Jesus will one day return on a white horse as a rider, and is called Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11). Believers will one day be raised from the grave at the trumpet sound, as God comes back for His bride, the church (1 Corinthians 15:52).
As we remember all that God did during the Easter period, we can look forward to eternal life with Him. He is the Word of God and His words are faithful and true, from everlasting to everlasting.
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