Easter Sunday stands as the most important day in the Christian calendar, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Its full significance becomes clearer when seen in the light of the events of Holy Week, which leads believers on a journey from joy to sorrow and then to hope.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when Jesus enters Jerusalem as a king, greeted by crowds waving palm branches and shouting ‘Hosanna’. It’s a moment of triumph, but also one of deep irony. The same people who welcomed him would soon call for his crucifixion. As the week continues, Jesus openly challenges the religious leaders, cleanses the temple, and teaches with increasing urgency. Tensions mount, and by Thursday, he shares a final meal with his disciples. This Last Supper is where he breaks bread and shares wine, symbolising his body and blood, and teaches them about love, humility, and sacrifice by washing their feet.

That night, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, wrestling with the weight of what lies ahead. He’s soon betrayed by Judas and arrested. What follows is a series of unjust trials, brutal beatings, and finally, crucifixion. On Good Friday, Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies in agony. The sky darkens, the temple curtain tears, and his followers are left heartbroken and confused. Saturday brings silence, as his body lies in the tomb and all seems lost.

Then, on Easter Sunday, everything changes. At dawn, women come to the tomb and find it empty. Angels announce that Jesus is risen. He appears to his followers, not as a ghost or a memory, but alive, transformed, and triumphant over death. At that moment, the sorrow of Friday and the silence of Saturday give way to the joy of new life.

Easter Sunday is significant because it confirms Jesus as the Son of God and proves that his sacrifice wasn’t in vain. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ had not been raised, faith would be useless. But because he lives, Christians believe they too will rise. The resurrection defeats death, not just for Jesus, but for all who trust in him. It turns the cross into a symbol of hope, and the tomb into a gateway of life.

Seen through the lens of Holy Week, Easter doesn’t ignore pain, it redeems it. The resurrection gives meaning to the suffering and shows that love is stronger than death. It calls believers to live with hope, courage, and purpose, knowing that no darkness is final, and no tomb is sealed forever. Easter Sunday declares that the story is not over, and never will be.