A passage read by Holy Cross Catholic Church's Father Mario Romero from the first letter of Peter perfectly describes what Easter Sunday and Jesus' resurrection has meant to the world's Christians.
"He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross so that free from sin we might live for righteousness by his wounds we have been healed."
And it's an Easter message consistent across the Christian denominations.
At Progressive Baptist Church, Rev. Lloyd Joiner's Easter message was similar.
"He lives; he's not dead; he resurrected from the grave early Sunday morning."
And that, Joiner adds, leads to a bigger payoff.
"So we believe that he is resurrected, he's alive and that he's seated at the right hand of God the Father, and one day, he's coming back again."
Another element in the Easter message, is that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are strengthened. Empowered to handle what current circumstances are throwing our way.
Rev. Joseph Daly, Rector at Episcopal Church of the Ascension says that Easter has always been a time to celebrate together. To know that we can face anything.
"It's something that we can celebrate together, we needn't fear the problem we can face it. We needn't be blaming one another, we get to carry each other we don't need to hoard, we can share; we don't need to be afraid, we have hope."
And at UL's Chi Alpha Campus Ministry, the Easter message is also one of reprioritizing things, perhaps the realization that everything you thought was important pales in comparison to the Grand Plan of God.
"But the power of Easter is that man, there is so much more that's going to be about life than what we experience today," said Eric Treuil, Chi Alpha Campus Ministry, executive director. "Jesus is alive and he's made a way for everyone to be with him for all eternity."
