We talk about money a lot around here. Like it or not, the way money is managed (or mismanaged) has a profound effect on just about every aspect of life, from relationships to physical, emotional and spiritual health.

But as we prepare to celebrate Easter, we are reminded of one gift that money could never buy.

More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus chose to leave his perfect home in heaven and become one of us. He could have entered the world as a king in a palace. Instead, he took the lowly position of a carpenter’s son, spending the first hours of His life in a feeding trough for animals.

When he was only in his mid-30s, Jesus voluntarily died a torturous death as a once-and-for-all sacrifice that paid the price for every sin we’ve ever committed and will commit. But it was His miraculous resurrection that sealed the deal, proving He was, indeed, the Son of God.

And that’s not all.

Knowing we would be skeptical and unsure, struggling to believe, the Lord made sure we had an orderly account of all that happened. That way, the miracle now known as Easter Sunday wouldn’t just be reserved for those who were there for the actual event, but for all of us.

The angel spoke to the women: “There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed. Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ That’s the message” (Matthew 28:5-7, The Message).

Jesus appeared to more than 500 eyewitnesses after He was raised from the dead. When He spoke to Paul—a man who had made a career of persecuting and killing Christians—he not only ceased to persecute believers, he became one of them. Jesus has been transforming hearts ever since.

As you read this, your life may be going pretty well. Or, it may be a mess. Perhaps you’re in debt and in over your head. Perhaps you’re blaming yourself or someone you love for a situation that seems hopeless.

Stop, and remember Easter.

That sin you think is unforgivable?
It’s covered.

That person who wounded you down to your very core?
The grace of Jesus is powerful enough to cover them, too.

And there is always, always hope, even when life seems to have spiraled out of control.

As the prophet Isaiah wrote, hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth, “he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NLT).

Whatever your financial situation, whatever guilt you’ve been carrying, whatever keeps you up at night—it does not define you. The God of the universe loves you. If you call Jesus your Savior, every sin you’ve ever committed has been covered by His blood.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NLT)

Don’t ever become numb to those familiar words. They express a truth worth more than money can buy.