Thoughts on Easter. Oh I know, Easter was Sunday. But, what if we carried on like everyday was Easter? What would the world, or our little corner, look like? What would our lives look like if Easter was ongoing? Interesting useless fact — another word for “ongoing” is “alive.” Hmmm. Do we want to carry Easter with us into everyday and not just on Easter Sunday? Do we want Easter to continue in our dailies? Do we want an ongoing Easter? Do we want to be alive? Just something to think about. Anyway…
We tend to holiday-ize some Bible events, don’t we? Christmas and Easter are the easiest to secularize and as a people we’ve done an outstanding job of it. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Not a criticism, just an observation. I’m speaking for myself, I’m currently all bunnied up and have gotten supplies for the egg hunt too. But the down and dirt about it is that the birth of Jesus and the death and resurrection of Jesus are not secular events. I must not forget. The Easter story begins with death and ends with life. We have to understand the death in order to understand the life.
Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there.
Matthew 27:36
Crucified. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Does that cause you to tremble, tremble, tremble? Me too. I know why the world has turned Easter into a parade. It’s awful to think about a man hanging on a cross. Give me the bunny. It shocks the senses to think about folks hanging out just waiting for Him to die. Let’s hide some eggs. Secularizing Christian events makes them more easily understood, sometimes more bearable, more palatable. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, living for Jesus is definitely not for the squeamish.
When I think about those who “sat around,” I wonder what they were thinking. Crucifixions were not uncommon so they may not have been too affected by it. Maybe they thought nothing – just another crucifixion. Desensitized. Maybe they thought about their market list. Maybe they thought about watering the animals. I know what you’re thinking – she’s so inappropriate, so crass, but let’s just be honest. Let’s call a spade a spade. If we can’t look at the crucifixion for what it was, we can’t look at it for what it will be. Do we think of the crucifixion for what it was? Harsh, cruel, horrific.
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he gave up his spirit.
Matthew 27:50
Dead. The sinless One. Died because we are the sin-full ones. Do we think of it that way? In my stead. In my place, the spotless lamb. If you know Jesus, not just the name, death is not the end, actually, it’s just the beginning.
“I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised form the dead, just as he said he would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.”
Matthew 28:5-6
Resurrected. The real Easter story. The beginning of a life of eternity. The key to all things Christian. Just as He promised – I will come again. Just as He promised, we will be resurrected to eternal life.
I want to look at it a little differently this Easter go around. I want to remember that Easter is not just a celebration of the spring season, but a celebration of the new life. I want to remember that His death led to my life. I want to remember that His death took the place of my death – here on earth and for all eternity. That’s a very long time.
There’s nothing wrong with celebrating Easter with bunnies, eggs, bonnets and all. But, if we forget about what happened at the cross, the crucifixion, and His death, and we fail to see the resurrection, it’s just another secular holiday. We must be Resurrection Day folks. People who celebrate the life that led to death, that led to life, eternal. Yours, mine and all who will receive Him. Let’s live ongoing Easter every day – let’s keep Easter alive.