The Foundation of Easter

1 Corinthians 15:3–4

We often encounter Easter at the empty tomb—but the story really begins before that. It begins with a turning.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, there’s a word God uses again and again when calling His people back: Shuv. It means to return, to turn back, to come home. It’s more than feeling sorry or changing behavior, it’s a reorientation of the whole self: heart, mind, and direction.

Through the prophet Joel, God says, “Return to me” (Joel 2:12). Shuv.

This is where the tension of Easter begins. Before there is resurrection, there is an invitation to return. Before redemption is experienced, repentance is required, not as punishment, but as the pathway home.

We often think of repentance as a feeling, maybe even something weighed down by shame. But in Scripture, Shuv is deeply relational. It’s the Father standing at the door, calling out, “Turn back—I’m still here.” It’s not just turning away from sin; it’s turning toward Someone.

And this is where Easter changes everything.

What we could never return from on our own sin and death, Jesus steps into. On the cross, He carries the full weight of our separation. And through the resurrection, He opens the way for our return to lead somewhere, not just back to where we were, but forward… to Himself.

Because of Easter, Shuv is no longer a cycle of trying harder and falling short. It becomes the doorway to redemption.

Easter isn’t only about celebrating an empty tomb. It invites a more personal question: Where in your life is God calling you to Shuv? Where have you drifted… grown numb… settled… or run?

Because the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is still calling: “Return to me.” And the promise of Easter is this, when you do, you won’t find condemnation… you’ll find redemption.

See you this Sunday at Likewise,

Pastor Josh