I love the Easter Bunny as much as the next kid. In fact, I think I spotted his furry little tail in my yard yesterday. You can bet he’ll be back this weekend, sprinkling our home with color and candy.

But while he may bring us what we want, he won’t bring what we need. The Easter Bunny will leave us as he found us. Unchanged. Destined to face another Monday. Left again to deal with our anxieties and fears with little more than a sugar high.

This Easter I need more than marshmallows, eggs, and chocolate. I need peace for my anxiety. I need purpose in my life. I need strength to face my fears. I need to know I am not alone. To know that my life matters. To know that I am loved, regardless.

The bunny can’t bring these things. But I know someone else who can.

This Easter, I need Jesus. The living Jesus.  Too often we focus solely on the cross and sacrifice of Jesus on Easter. But the cross on its own is incomplete. If the story ended there, Jesus’ death would have been just another hopeless tragedy. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. The fact that Jesus is alive is what makes the Good News so great.

I need the life-altering, mind-blowing, game-changing power of the Resurrection. Understanding these 5 truths will radically impact your view of God, yourself, and your life.

I Am No Longer Ashamed

Because Jesus is alive, I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to keep “trying harder” to turn my life around so that God will accept me. I don’t have to be good enough for God to love me. I am already deeply loved and fully accepted. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). These promises and more are ours when we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead (Rom 10:9), trusting and following Him wherever He leads us.

“Because Jesus is alive, I can come as I am. Broken, bleeding, and messed up. I never have to wonder if God is mad at me or if He is going to punish me for my mistakes.”

Because Jesus is alive, I can come as I am. Broken, bleeding, and messed up. Because of the cross, God credits the righteousness of Jesus to my account (1 Pet 3:18, Romans 3:25-26). I don’t have to earn it, it’s already been done. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). And because of the resurrection, His offering has been accepted and His sacrifice complete (John 19:28-30).

I Am No Longer Afraid

Because Jesus is alive, I am free from fear and punishment. I never have to wonder if God is mad at me or if He is going to punish me when I mess up. He won’t give me the cold shoulder. I don’t have to earn God’s favor or appease Him to get on His good side. Jesus already satisfied God’s righteous anger and justice, covering our guilt with His punishment (1 John 2:1-3). He made it possible for me to have an intimate relationship with God. When I sin, I can come to God freely without fear and receive forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

I Am No Longer Alone

If Jesus was still dead, I would be alone. But He is alive. He is present today. He has promised to never leave me or abandon me, no matter what comes. Nothing in heaven or on earth can separate me from Him (Rom 8:38-39). He is always with me and will continue to care for me until I breathe my last breath (Matt 28:20). No matter what you face in life, you don’t have to face it alone. When I pray, He is there beside me. When I cry, He comforts me. When I am afraid, He gives me peace. When I feel defeated, He picks me up. He is my help and my strength. He is for me, always working everything for my good and His glory. He is bigger than we can imagine and has every resource readily available to Him. He is greater than any enemy and any tragedy. We are not alone. And because of this, we can face anything and overcome everything.

“He will never leave or abandon me, no matter what comes. Because of this, I can face anything and overcome everything.”

I Am No Longer Helpless

If Jesus was still in the grave, my life would remain unchanged. Without His resurrection, there would be no power to overcome our temptations, addictions, fears, anxieties, or struggles. Sin and evil would always win (1 Cor 15:17). But the resurrection proved Jesus was divine. And that He was more powerful than sin and death itself. Jesus defeated the power of sin and its hold over me. His divine power is now alive in those who believe, working on our behalf through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17).

Because Jesus is alive, I possess the divine power necessary to overcome any battle. I am now free to choose what is good. I can resist the deceptive tactics of the enemy. I am no longer in bondage to my own desires, addictions, or fears. Jesus gives me the strength to surrender my burdens, persevere through any hardship, and overcome any temptation. I can forgive regardless the offense, love with abandon, and serve those in need. I am already victorious in whatever I face because Jesus was victorious.

I Am No Longer Hopeless

When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated both sin and death. Anyone else who rose from the dead returned to the grave. But Jesus is alive. He proved to be more powerful than death itself. And because He is alive in us, we will also live with Him after death. “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Death will not be the end of us (Rom 8:11).

Too often we live as though this is the only life we have. Each birthday is like a clock counting down our days, mounting the pressure to accomplish and experience everything we want to do before our time is up. We live in reaction to what life throws at us. We rush from one busy scheduled moment to the next. We are governed by our calendars, our smartphones, our to-do list, and the demands of others. But what if this wasn’t our only life? What is the benefit if we gain the whole world but lose our soul in the process (Mark 8:35-36)? What if the point of this life is to prepare us for the next one? Would our lives look different if we literally had all the time in the world, and then some?

“Without the limits of time, we might tend to think, ‘What’s the hurry?’ Although we live in time now, God “has also put eternity in [our] hearts” (Ecc 3:11). Therefore, we must learn to live for eternity, not for time.” – Unknown

Eternal life actually starts now for those who trust in Jesus. “Eternal life” means life that is everlasting; life with no end. It refers to both the abundant life we have in Jesus now and the life we will have with Him in heaven. Seeing our life through this lens will greatly affect our actions. It would be easier to forgive. Our response to pain and suffering would look different. We would be more open to interruptions, viewing time with others as God-given opportunities instead of distractions. We would say no to more and yes to less. We would spend our time enjoying life, furthering our relationship with others and with God. If we understood our time here on earth in light of an eternal backdrop, we would treat our time differently. Death would be seen as more of a doorway than an end. And our life would be abundant with meaning and purpose.

We celebrate Easter because Jesus is alive. He saves. He forgives. He frees. He is with us. He is for us. He loves us. He transforms us.

And when I understand all that He has done and continues to do for me, I can face another Monday. I have peace instead of anxiety. I have purpose in my life. I have the strength to face my fears. I am not alone. My life matters. And I know without a doubt that I am deeply loved with an everlasting love.