The Meaning of Easter

One morning this week during the Focus on the Family segment on KSBJ, they were talking about the meaning of Easter. And I think so many times it gets blown off, misunderstood, or just taken lightly.

I get frustrated when people tend to focus year-round on the DEATH of Christ. They mourn pictures of Him on the cross, weep over his pain, and have a general guilt over His sufferings. While it is critical to remember to sacrifice Christ made for our sins, this is NOT what God wants us to focus on! During the segment they mentioned, "Without the resurrection, Christ's life is meaningless." And that is so true. Everything He came to earth to represent, teach, or rebuke becomes meaningless if we forget that He is alive in all of us. Jesus dying on the cross is not the miracle...but the empty tomb is! I think God wants us to feel the same joy Mary Magdalene felt when she saw that stone rolled away and Christ's body missing!

Today is what we call Maundy Thursday...the day to commerorate Jesus' Last Supper with the Apostles. We remember several significant events including Jesus' washing the disciples feet, the institution of the last supper, the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the ultimate betrayal by Judas Iscariot.

It's funny that tomorrow is considered "Good" Friday considering it is the day to remember the crucifixion of Christ! I think these two important days often get overlooked in the hype of the Easter bunny, egg hunts, and baskets. I can't even imagine how difficult it could be to try and teach your children all these important things about Christ's life when they're running around trying to find the best eggs! And we talked about this last night at Bible study...where in the world did the Easter bunny come from anyway? And eggs?? Why not the Easter chicken?

Anyway :)

I feel like I'm writing this post into a brick wall, but I think that the older I get, the more I realize just how important and SPECIAL this Easter holiday is to all of us. We are so incredibly blessed to have a Savior full of grace, forgiveness, and love no matter what we do or how bad we screw up.

Take time over the next few days to really thank God for his sacrifice. HE IS ALIVE! I hope you can experience the same JOY I do in knowing that, because of what we celebrate this weekend, I have a first-class reservation in Heaven.

Right next to Seth, a Marble Slab, and a Barnes & Noble.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die"

John 11:25-26