Our family went to Disney World for Christmas this past year. We actually left on Christmas morning and spent four days in the parks. I know some of you are thinking we lost our ever-loving minds going to Disney during the busiest week of the year—and you’d be right—but let me tell you, it was magical. Sure, it was chaotic and crowded, but it was absolutely worth it to spend the most wonderful time of the year at the happiest place on Earth.
This was our youngest daughter’s first trip. She was two at the time, and honestly, you never know what to expect at that age. Will they love it and soak it all in, or will they melt down from overstimulation? Thankfully, just like the rest of our crew, she fell in love. Every ride, every character, every Mickey-shaped treat brought squeals of pure joy. It was worth every penny spent and every mile walked to make those memories.
Well, ever since we got back from Disney—along with my post-Disney blues—our daughter has become not-so-low-key obsessed. Our house has been overtaken by all things Disney: princesses, plushies, castles, and crowns. You can’t walk down the Disney aisle at Target without risking your entire paycheck, and don’t even think about claiming the TV—she’s already called dibs. I think we’ve watched every Disney movie on repeat since January… and honestly? I’m not even mad about it. Who doesn’t feel warm and fuzzy every time Belle breaks the Beast’s curse or Moana restores the heart of Te Fiti? Walt Disney knew how to make us feel something.
And as we enter Holy Week, preparing to celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Christ, all of this Disney magic got me thinking: Why do these stories capture our hearts so deeply? What is it about Disney movies and characters that make us dream bigger, hope more, and tear up every time the music swells and the hero wins?
I think the answer is this: deep down, we are all longing for a happily ever after.
If you have a Bible—and I hope you do—turn with me to Genesis 1.
In verse 27, we read:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
And verse 31 says, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
Not just good, y’all. Very good.
God created mankind, placed them in a garden, and said, “Here is everything you will ever need—including perfect communion with Me.” Life was as it should be: peaceful, purposeful, and full of God’s presence.
But let’s be honest—most of us wouldn’t describe our lives that way today. Most of my days feel more like survival than “very good.” Sure, there are sweet moments sprinkled in, but more often I’d use words like stressful, exhausting, and overwhelming. We’re juggling work, kids, responsibilities, and a never-ending to-do list while trying to keep our sanity and maybe finish a cup of coffee before it goes cold.
And that’s just the light-hearted stuff—the kind of chaos we laugh about on Instagram reels.
There is real pain and suffering in all of our lives. Whether it’s a diagnosis or a disobedient child, infertility or the inability to make ends meet, an unfaithful spouse or the absence of a loved one who left too soon. The world we live in is a far cry from the Garden of Eden.
So how did we get from “It is very good” to “Is this even real life?”
We know the story. Satan fixed his eyes on Eve. Adam let his guard down. They believed the lie that what Satan offered was better than what God had already given. Sin entered the world. And ever since, we’ve been living in a broken version of the story we were meant for.
That doesn’t sound like a happily ever after.
But here’s the good news: God never intended to leave us with a tragic ending.
God had a plan all along. A plan that started in a manger and ended with an empty tomb. Thousands of years after sin shattered our happy ending, Jesus stepped into the story on a divine rescue mission. He left His throne in heaven, lived a perfect life, and walked the Via Dolorosa—the way of suffering—to the cross to die for the sins of man.
As Jesus hung on the cross, Luke 23:44–46 tells us:
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour… and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this, he breathed his last.”
John adds in 19:30:
“He said, ‘It is finished,’ and bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
But that wasn’t the end. Jesus was not finished. The battle between darkness and light still raged and Sunday was coming.
Luke 24 tells us:
“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb… and they found the stone rolled away… but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus… Two men in dazzling apparel said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.’”
The cross and the empty tomb secured two things for us:
- Communion with the Father in this life.
- Eternity with the Father in the next.
When Jesus breathed His last, He said, “It is finished.” The debt of sin was paid in full. Scripture says the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom—a divine act showing we now have full access to the presence of God.
Gone are the days of relying on priests and sacrifices to approach the Lord. Because of Jesus, “we can draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Right here. Right now.
The torn veil means we have access to the Father.
But it doesn’t stop there. The empty tomb means we also have assurance. The work Jesus began on the cross was completed when He rose from the grave. He ascended to heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, reigning in glory.
I absolutely love the book of Revelation—because it shows Christ glorified. Victorious. Triumphant over sin and darkness. And Revelation 21 gives us a glimpse of our real happily ever after:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man… He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more… for the former things have passed away.’”
Y’all, there’s a reason our hearts long for a happy ending—and it has nothing to do with a man and a mouse.
It has everything to do with the God-man who came to earth 2,000 years ago to be born of a virgin, live the life we could never live, die the death we should have died, and rise again to secure for us a happily ever after that can never be taken away.
So that one day, we will say again: “It is very good.”
In the middle of our chaos, our suffering, and our uncertainty, our eternity is secure. The end of the story is already written. And spoiler alert: It’s a happily ever after, y’all. An eternal one.
The torn veil and the empty tomb remind us that not only is the King coming back to claim us as His own, but we also have access to Him while we wait.
Let’s hold on to this promise:
1 Corinthians 15:57–58
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
💕 Products I Love This Week
Here are a few of our favorite finds to help your family celebrate the true meaning of Easter. These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission—thank you for supporting this space!
- Resurrection Eggs – A hands-on, kid-friendly way to walk through the Easter story, one egg at a time.
- Easter Story Puzzle – A beautiful wooden puzzle that helps little hands learn the big story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
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- “He is Risen” Yard Flag – Share the hope of Easter right from your front yard with this cheerful seasonal flag.
- “He is Risen” Kitchen Towel – A sweet and subtle reminder of resurrection joy right in the heart of your home.
One response to “The Torn Veil and the Empty Tomb: Why Easter Secures Our True Happily Ever After”
Jenna, this fantastic. Thank you!