Easter and Christmas are the two pillars of the Christian calendar. They root the church in two grand realities that tell us about the God we serve and shape what we believe and how we are to live. Today we celebrate Easter. We remind ourselves that no matter how dark the story gets, it isn’t over until resurrection happens. The resurrection of Christ is the first fruit of the redemption of the world. It is God’s down payment to us, where he says, I’m going to redeem this place, believe me. When we shout, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”, we are remembering that the redemption of the world has begun in the resurrection of one man. Surely we need this message today.