The Pastor’s Piece, Pastor Kevin Cernek – FCFI Chaplain

FCFI

March 29, 2026

Recently, a familiar question was posed: Which is more important, Christmas or Easter? While they are often treated as separate celebrations, one wrapped in quiet wonder, the other in triumphant joy, the truth of Scripture reveals that they are not rivals, nor even merely related. They are inseparably joined, two essential movements of one divine work.

Few passages capture this unity with as much clarity as does Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” In this single verse, we are given both the beginning and the purpose of Jesus’ mission.

“For unto us a child is born” speaks unmistakably of the miracle we celebrate at Christmas. The Messiah did not arrive in power and splendor as a conquering king might have, but in humility as an infant, dependent and vulnerable. There is nothing more fragile than a newborn child, and yet this was God’s chosen way.

This was not simply a poetic beginning, it was a necessary one. For Jesus to truly save humanity, He had to fully enter into it. He did not appear as a man, He became one. He stepped fully into our condition, experiencing life as we do, yet was without sin. As Philippians 2:7 describes, He “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant.” The birth of Jesus is not merely the start of His story, it is the foundation of His mission. He experienced human life not as an observer, but as a participant. This is what qualified Him to stand in our place. Humanity had fallen, and only a true human could represent humanity.

Yet Isaiah does not stop at the birth. He continues: “unto us a son is given.” The son was not merely born; He was given. This is the language of sacrifice. This points beyond the manger to the cross, and ultimately to the empty tomb. Jesus is not only fully man; He is also fully God, the eternal Son. Only a divine Savior could bear the full weight of human sin and offer a sacrifice of infinite worth. A merely human life, no matter how perfect, could never accomplish this. This is why both natures are essential. If He were only man, He could represent us but not save us. If He were only God, He could save but not stand in our place. In Christ alone, both are perfectly united.

The purpose of His birth comes into full view at Easter. On the cross, Jesus bore the penalty of sin. But it is in the resurrection that we see the decisive victory. As Romans 4:25 declares, He “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” The resurrection is not an appendix to the story, it is its vindication. It is the proof that sin has been conquered, that death has been defeated, and that salvation is not only offered but secured. The resurrection is the assurance that salvation is not uncertain or incomplete. It is finished, proven, and alive.

So what, then, is the difference between Christmas and Easter? In one sense, they are very different – one begins in stillness, the other in triumphant victory. But in a deeper sense, they cannot be separated without losing the meaning of both. Christmas is God coming to us. Easter is God making a way for us to come to Him. The cradle leads to the cross. The cross leads to the empty tomb. The manger points forward to the cross. The cross finds its triumph in the resurrection. Each depends on the other. Each gives meaning to the other.

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace are not merely titles, they are revelations of Jesus’ nature and His work. He is “Mighty God,” declaring His divine nature. He is “Prince of Peace,” accomplishing reconciliation between God and man, a peace secured through His death and resurrection. Even in prophecy, we see that the child of Christmas is already the Savior of Easter.

Together, Christmas and Easter reveal the full glory of the gospel: At Christmas, God came to us. At Easter, He made a way for us to come to Him. God became man. Sin was defeated and man was redeemed by God. In the risen Christ, heaven and earth are forever joined. This is why both are of equal value, not because they are the same, but because they are inseparably one. In Jesus Christ, the Child who was born and the Son who was given, we find not two stories, but one complete salvation. Together, Christmas and Easter tell one story of salvation fully accomplished.

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin)