He is risen

by Sunday Ready
on March 30, 2026
in stat, quote, story

Easter weekend is here!

For some pastors, this is the easiest message of the year. For others, it’s the most pressure-filled Sunday on the calendar.

Each Easter, I tried to remind my congregation that they are a part of something much older and bigger than they probably realize.

After the resurrection, 120 people attended the first “church service.” But those 120 turned into:

About 5,000 people by 40 AD
Over 5 million by 300 AD
And today, it’s estimated that there are 2.3 billion Christians (and that number is growing)

We don’t usually think of it this way, but when Christ ascended to Heaven, Zeus was the prominent God. But no one worships Zeus anymore.

Two thousand years later, empires have fallen, and philosophies have faded, but Jesus is still being worshiped.

Today, I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story to help you preach Easter.

I hope you have an amazing Easter weekend.

Stat

A study of 2,000 U.S. adults found that just 39% of Americans would be willing to donate an organ to a family member or friend.

53% would endure waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles for someone they care about.
62% would put their reputation on the line by acting as a reference for a loved one’s apartment or job application.
82% said they would share prize money of $100,000 with family and friends.

Takeaway: Your family and friends would share their money, reputation, and time with you, but not an organ to save your life. The Apostle Paul’s words come to mind, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 NIV)

Source: StudyFinds

Quote

“Sometimes people approach me and say, “I really struggle with this aspect of Christian teaching. I like this part of Christian belief, but I don’t think I can accept that part.” I usually respond: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said?” – Timothy Keller

Source: The Reason for God by Timothy Keller (pg. 202)

Story

How far would you go to understand someone else’s struggles? How close would you get?

When Kris Rotonda heard the Humane Society of Pasco County faced a lack of funding and a limited number of volunteers, he knew something had to be done to shed light on the conditions.

So, he packed rice cakes, protein bars, pre-packaged meals, an ample supply of water, a pillow, blanket, and three lanterns, and barricaded himself in a cage with different dogs at the shelter for 10 nights.

Many thought he was crazy. His girlfriend, family, and friends tried to talk him out of it. But Rotonda said, “(Shelters) are often overlooked. I kind of wanted to wake up … the community a little more and put myself in the position of these animals to understand how solitude gets to you and how to deal with it. It’s very difficult, and it gives you a different perspective.”

Staff employees treated him like a dog (as he asked them to), taking him outside only for an hour and a half to play and use the bathroom.

He said, “I told the shelter, ‘Don’t give me any special treatment. Treat me like a German Shepherd.’”

It was hot. He couldn’t shower. There were bugs. The smell of urine filled his nostrils. And the loud barking of up to 50 dogs kept him up at night.

Takeaway: Jesus left Heaven to be with us, and now we can approach Him because he can relate to our situation. “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering…” (Isaiah 53:3-4 NIV)

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Interesting Links

How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020.
This research from Pew is where I grabbed the number of 2.3 billion Christians in the world. There are some other interesting numbers in their findings.

Four Reasons Jesus Was Raised from the Dead
This article from the Gospel Coalition provides a helpful explanation of why the resurrection is significant.

Why did Jesus Rise on the Third Day?
This article explains the significance of “the third day” in scripture.

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