There is a common joke among grandparents that has landed on t-shirts and room décor. The joke pokes fun at the difficulty of parenting while also expressing the joy of being a grandparent. It goes something like this, “If I knew grandkids were this much fun, I would have had them first.” This is funny because grandparents cannot have grandchildren without going through the long and sometimes difficult journey of parenting. First, parents have to put in the time of raising their own children. Then, when their parental duty has been fulfilled, they can enjoy the simple pleasure of children without the responsibility of discipline or daily schedule requirements. First, the work. Then, the triumph.

The order of events was important for the first Easter, too. Easter has no joy, no triumph, if we isolate it from its foundation. After the fall, God’s promise to send a Savior set the rest of his plan into motion. God prepared his people’s hearts with generations of bloody sacrifices, all pointing to the Lamb of God who would someday come and be the final sacrifice. Easter triumph was coming but first the preparation had to be done.

After Jesus came, the real work of salvation began. This work could not be done by you or me. God requires perfection, something we cannot meet. Without perfection, we would be condemned to hell, forever separated from God. God’s gracious plan was to exchange Jesus’ perfect life and death for our corruption. The work for that exchange was every day. Every day, Jesus had to perfectly forgive. Every day, Jesus kept his thoughts clean from hate, impurity and dishonesty. Every day, Jesus had to perfectly love God and others. Those days included the days of his torture and death on a cross. Jesus was perfect even while suffering for miserable sinners like you and me. His Easter triumph was coming but first the sacrifice had to be made.

Jesus’ Easter triumph did come! Early on the third day in the tomb, Jesus rose from the dead! The work had been done! The empty tomb was proof that he could now triumph in Easter glory! What is more, Jesus’ Easter glory is our glory too! Our Easter happiness is rooted in the relief and peace of knowing that Jesus did the work for us! He is our Savior, our risen Savior! When our time on earth is over, God, by grace, will welcome us into his heavenly home to be forever with our risen Savior! Easter triumph at last!