Millions of people will celebrate Easter today without understanding it's true meaning. To help you figure out what it means let's look at the Easter Equation.

It starts with a big "I." The problem with this world is sin. Sin is best defined by the vowel in the middle of the word. The problem with our fallen human race is "I" trouble. We are nearsighted and can't see beyond ourselves. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

“I lived for myself, for myself alone,

For myself and none beside,

Just as if Jesus had never lived,

And as if He had never died.” (Henry Drummond)

Next we put a minus mark through the big "I." This makes a cross. The cross is all about the subtraction of the big "I." To Jesus the cross meant dying to what He wanted in order to do His Father's will, which was to go to the cross and die for the sin of the world (Hebrews 5:7-9). To us the cross means dying to what we want in order to do Christ's will. In other words, we must die to ourselves in order to live the rest of our lives for Him who loved us and died for us (2 Corinthians 5:15). Until we come to this point of commitment to Christ, where we are willing to take up our cross for Him－giving Him our lives－as He took up His cross for us－giving us His life－we cannot be Christ's disciples (Matthew 16:24-25). There is no such thing as a crossless Christian or crossless Christianity.

Finally, this Easter Equation—the big "I" with the minus mark through it—equals the resurrection! After Christ went to the cross, He was resurrected from the dead and made alive unto God forevermore (Romans 6:9-10). Likewise after we go to the cross, "reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin," we are raised from our spiritual death in trespasses and sins and made "alive unto God" forever (Romans 6:11).

Before the empty tomb,

Comes the occupied cross.

Before all is gained,

All must be lost.

Before the rising up,

Comes the lying down.

The suffering of the cross

Always precedes the crown.

Before the shout of victory,

"It is finished" must be cried.

For to be resurrected,

One must first be crucified.

Have you, by joining Christ in taking up the cross, been raised into newness of life, a new life that is abundant; that is, lived for God, and eternal; that is, lived forever with God? If not, you will never know what Easter is really all about.