Happy Easter Sunday everybody and welcome to The Faithful Wanderer’s Easter Sunday Encouragement Post: a post filled with Holy Week-themed encouragement from other writers and bloggers, including myself. On Christmas Eve we did an encouragement post with a variety of pieces from teens and young adults and we are doing the same thing today.

I hope you find these pieces encouraging and they help you remember the reason we are all here today.
~Willow

Brooklyn Bauer

How can one not feel the pang of sorrow when reading Matthew 27:22? They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” Knowing it was for me and you that He hung, humiliated, on a cross of wood, bearing the shame and suffering that should have been placed on us, how is it just that Christ should bear that? 

It isn’t. 

It’s not just. But it is love. It is mercy. It is grace. I’m reminded of the lyrics to an old hymn: 

Amazing Grace will always be my song of praise
For it was grace, that brought me liberty
I do not know, just why He came to love me so
He looked beyond my faults and saw my need

The depths of His love is the wondrous miracle we will never be able to fully grasp until we reach our Heavenly home. When we were dead in our sins with nothing that could make full atonement, He came as hope. 

Though, something had to die in order that we might be released from death. Someone had to die. It was our Savior who chose to. Yet the beautiful thing about the story of redemption is that though He died, death could not hold Him forever. 

Matthew 28:6 says, He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. What a wondrous work done because we have a good Father, who calls us to Himself, as children to a father. 

Rest in the goodness of God, in the faithfulness of Christ, and in the assurance that through the Spirit’s work, if we open our eyes and hearts to receive His grace, we will then receive everlasting life and perfect communion with our Savior, because He has risen.

He has risen indeed!

Vivi B.

Do you feel like you understand the meaning of the cross? Like, really get it and know what it means for you? 

Well, even if you are reading this after Easter, I challenge you to read the crucifixion/resurrection story, (which you can find in the Bible in Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24 and John 19-20. I’d suggest reading each one to get the full picture. They’re all in the Bible for a reason!) and take some time to process what it looks like for you that He died for you. Even if you feel like you really get it—it’s a form of worship to remember what He’s done for you, and thank Him for it, so read it again! 

However, don’t just read it because I told you to or because it’s Easter and this is when we really focus on this part of the Bible. Read it like it’s the only reason you have breath in your lungs right now.

Because it is.

If Jesus didn’t fully die and fully rise back to life, then why am I writing this? What’s the point of our faith? If you don’t believe for yourself that He died and rose again, then what’s the point in life?

Have you ever been through a hard trial? I sure have—many, in fact. But do you know how I got through them? Because I chose to put my trust in the cross and the hope that it brings me, knowing that this is not all we get and there will be peace and an end to suffering one day (Revelation 21:4), and that these lessons will strengthen me until that day comes. I’ve learned that it is a daily choice you have to make, choosing trust and hope in the Lord over anxiety and depression. If you’re reading this, then you’ve gotten through a trial at least once.

Because of the Easter story, we have a reason to keep going and we have help through it. Even if you feel like no one was there to comfort you in those seasons, know that He was. And He’s been through hard times too—when Jesus came to Earth, He experienced all the same emotions and temptations that we do! You’ve probably heard that before, all of this before, but I don’t just want to repeat the same thing again and for you to read the same thing again. 

Instead, I want you to read this as a reminder to take some time to think this weekend. Clear out a time today (or tomorrow, or whenever you’re reading this) and write down a reminder to spend some time reading the crucifixion and resurrection story for yourself. Do you really believe it? Do you believe He was there through those hard seasons? Do you believe that if you were the only one He had to die for, He still would’ve done it?

If you’re in a hard trial right now, then pray and ask God for peace and strength to get through this with Him, knowing that He is aware and understands our grief and struggles.

But if you are in a pouring-out season or a sharing season, then pray about how God wants you to share this story—hope and love in its simplest form—with others.     They don’t have to be complicated prayers, they just have to be intentional.

I hope this helped encourage you and that you have a great Easter!  

Willow Hoffer

Every year we listen to or read the story of Jesus’ sacrifice. And because I grew up knowing this story, it gets watered down, right?

Jesus died on a cross as a sacrifice for us—the end.

But then when you stop to think about it, you start to see and recognize that the sacrifice didn’t simply stop or begin solely at the cross. That’s where it took place and action, but there were so many pieces leading up to it.

On Palm Sunday, we see Jesus being greeted by a welcoming crowd who shouted, “Hosanna,” just to later scream, “Crucify Him.”

On Holy Monday we see Jesus clearing the temple to create a pure place for prayer, not for bartering.

On Holy Tuesday we see the religious leaders questioning Jesus’ authority and teachings.

On Holy Wednesday, we see Judas beginning the process of betraying his Lord.

On Maundy Thursday we see Jesus having the Last Supper—and Jesus washes his disciples feet as yet another act of humility and service.

On Good Friday, we see Jesus crucified. The curtain is torn in two, the earth shakes, and…He dies a human death, feeling the separation and wrath of God. The Savior, it appears, is no more.

And finally on Easter Sunday—today. We see and know that Jesus is risen from the dead, has defeated death, and given us eternal hope and salvation.

With all of these pieces in just the week leading up to his death, we can see many sacrifices: Jesus sacrificed his social status, His physical and emotional comfort, and intimacy with God—and then He sacrificed His life.

And friend, He did it for you, that you might find hope, trust, and love in Him because of the gift that was given. A new chance at life: just as Jesus was risen from the grave, we are now given the chance to be raised from our old and sinful ways to join Him in the new journey of salvation. What a God we have.

Today we can proclaim with certainty: He is risen, He is risen indeed.

Apple Smith

Easter has always been the most difficult holiday for me. While many people look forward to it with joy and celebration, my experience has been the opposite. Compared to holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas…which, despite their own stresses, still carry moments of warmth, Easter has consistently felt heavy and overwhelming.

Year after year, it has been marked by family conflicts, disappointments, and memories I would rather forget. Instead of bringing people together, it seems to magnify tensions, leaving behind a sense of exhaustion rather than peace. Over time, these experiences have shaped how I view the holiday, making it something I dread rather than anticipate.

What makes it even harder is knowing what Easter is supposed to represent. It’s meant to be a celebration of hope, renewal, and Christ’s redemption, a reminder of grace and new beginnings. Yet for me, that meaning often gets lost beneath the weight of what the day has come to hold. Rather than feeling uplifted, I find myself just waiting for it to pass.

There’s a kind of disconnect between what Easter should be and what it has become in my life. I recognize the beauty and significance behind it, but my personal experiences have made it difficult to fully embrace. Instead of joy, the day brings tension; instead of reflection, it brings discomfort.

But lately, I’ve started to realize something different. Easter isn’t defined by the people around me or the memories behind me, it’s defined by what Christ has already done. Even if the day feels broken, the meaning behind it is not. The message of Easter is that light overcomes darkness, that pain is not the end of the story.

Scripture reminds me of this truth: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Even when my experiences don’t reflect joy, God’s promise still stands. And in John 16:33, it says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” That includes the broken moments, the hard memories, and the weight we’ve carried for so long.

I’m beginning to understand that maybe Easter can still be meaningful—even if it looks different than what I expected. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. Even in quiet moments, even in the midst of imperfection, I can choose to hold onto hope.

Because at its core, Easter is about new life. And maybe, little by little, that new life can begin in me took too

~ ~ ~

About the writers:

Brooklyn Bauer has told stories since she could hold a pen. With a special love for historical fiction, she strives to communicate meaningful themes that, while removed from old time periods, resonate and connect with day to day lives today. When she’s not typing away on her keyboard, she’s humming a melody, writing a song, or picking up an instrument. Above all, it is her life goal to glorify God in all she does, and encourage those around her in meaningful friendships.

Vivi B is a teen writer and poet who lives in the midwest, creating for the Creator. When she’s not writing or editing a friend’s writing, you can find her making colorful art, baking sweet things, and hanging out with her dog. She plans on being published and filling the world with books worth reading.

Apple Smith expresses herself through writing, lots of movement, and spreading joy. Through difficult milestones, she was encouraged and supported by a very close sister in Christ to start writing, which grew and helped her grow in confidence by sharing the words that the Lord placed in her mind. Full of energy and faith, she loves dancing, spending time with children, and inspiring others to grow through challenges and keep moving forward with hope.