Renowned televangelist and spiritual leader, Rev. (Dr.) Uma Ukpai, has called on Nigerians and Christians around the world to embrace the true essence of Easter — a season of sacrifice, healing, forgiveness, and divine restoration.
Ukpai, an octogenarian, philanthropist, and Founder of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, is widely respected for his profound teachings on the supernatural, his deep compassion for humanity, and his holistic ministry approach that bridges the spiritual and physical needs of individuals.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ayoyinka Jegede, the revered man of God shares timeless insights on the significance of Easter, the messages it carries, and why embracing the resurrected Christ is the key to lasting transformation in life and society.
The significance of Easter
Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is a foundational belief in Christianity.
For Christians, Easter symbolises new beginnings and victory over death. It signifies that through faith in Jesus Christ, believers can receive salvation. The resurrection of Christ is seen as a triumph over sin and death, which gives believers hope for their own future and eternal life with God.
It’s a reflection on the sacrificial life that Jesus Christ, our Saviour, exhibited. And Easter celebration re-enacts the suffering, death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This is very important to Christianity because Christ’s death and resurrection is the evidence of our Justification. Easter shows Christ’s death and resurrection and the hope to overcome our sins. It shows Christ’s victory over principalities and power, making an open show of them. It likewise signifies Christ’s victory over death and the grave, which is our victory as Christians. The Bible says that if Christ were not resurrected, then all those who have died would perish. Without resurrection, our gospel is in vain. We celebrate Easter because it is important for the church to continue to rehash the story.
Easter stands as proof that everything that Jesus said about himself was true. What Jesus said he would do, he did, and what he promised meant.
The significance of Easter shows that knowing Jesus, who He is, is the solution to all of life’s problems and the remedy for all of life’s ills. The Great Physician, the Miracle Worker. And as you walk with Him, you will see the blind receive their sight and the deaf their hearing. The mentally ill will receive soundness of mind, the crippled and paralyzed will walk, and life will be restored to the dead.
Prophetic anointing, divine power
Everywhere Jesus went, because of the anointing on Him, He produced divine visitation, and when heaven visits a man, the curtain of his reproach will be removed and destroyed. And his mountain that blocks his way will be leveled. Heaven can visit a man through the prophet it has sent to be a blessing to such a man. This act to an ordinary man, contradicts common sense. How can an ordinary handkerchief bring healing to the sick? But a born-again child of God carries the power of God, and God is at work in his life. The transferable anointing of the power of God makes miracles easy by the hands of those who walk with God and believe in His ability to make the impossible possible.
Indeed, wherever Jesus goes, he leaves a trail of testimonies of sound minds and healing bodies
In order to receive the healing that Jesus came to give, you must know Him personally and know him experientially, emphatically and as a man knows the back of his hand. He is the source of life and He is life itself; therefore, receive the person of Jesus and you receive the life of Jesus, for your spirit, mind and body.
The Bible says in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. Jesus Christ is the word of God. John 1:1,14. Again, Jesus is the Word. Therefore, to receive the Healer and His miraculous power, receive the Word. When you receive the word, you will receive Christ the Healer, Christ the Saviour and Christ the Redeemer. The book of Psalms 107:20 says; He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. In Bible days, a Roman army officer, whose servant was very ill, came to Jesus saying, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Matthew 8:8).
What to learn from Easter
The message we should learn from Easter is the message of sacrifice, forgiveness. God’s only begotten Son came to this world, sacrificed His life that we might be redeemed. Since He laid down His life for us, we ought to make sacrifices for others also, and that is the message. There are so many things to learn from Easter. For example, while on the cross, Jesus prayed to the Father and said: “forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” For a man who was in so much pain, to whom people had done such excruciating things and who endured such misery in the hands of people He came to help and was still able to forgive. To me, that is something wonderful.
We must learn forgiveness from Easter. Offences will come, people will hurt one another, but at Easter we must learn to forgive ourselves. Easter gives us room to reflect and stretch forth an olive branch and forgive one another. We should not do it physically and then forget about the spiritual significance.
Benefits
Easter brings the solution to all life’s problems and offers the remedy for all life’s ills. The Lord Jesus Christ, the great Physician, the Miracle worker died for our sins and resurrected so that we might enjoy numerous benefits which include: Salvation, justification, healings, soundness of mind, restoration, the blind receives their sight, indeed, wherever He goes He leaves a trail of happy hearts, sound minds and healthy bodies.
Charge
Seeing the benefit of Easter, everyone should give his or her life to Jesus Christ and accept Jesus Christ as their Personal Lord and Saviour. Receiving Jesus is not just a story from scripture, but as the Living Word, the source of life and hope.
