Reasons for Easter
The media coverage of Easter events is a kaleidoscope of images. Stories range from the delights of the egg-delivering bunny to the death, resurrection and (eternal) life of the God-man, Jesus.
Accounts of the success of children’s Easter bonnet parades are mingled with accounts of another parade, the re-enactment of a parade following a man bearing a cross through the streets of Jerusalem.
As shops tempt with Easter delights—buttered hot cross buns and paper-thin chocolate eggs, which melt in one’s mouth. Bookstores and trinket shops display their wares—various forms of a cross with images of the crucified Jesus. It mustn’t be forgotten that Easter provides the joy of a holiday, a rest from work, school, everyday activity—it’s a time to contemplate and celebrate.
Easter: a curious mix of spiritual, religious and pagan ideologies, beliefs, traditions and rituals.
For Christians, it’s a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day following his death by crucifixion—a celebration of new life, both earthly and eternal, for all who accept the gift of the death and resurrection of Jesus as saviour of our world. For the Jewish people, it’s the Passover, a celebration of the release of the Jews from Egyptian slavery and a sparing of Jewish homes from the Egyptian plague of death.
The Passover ceremony also celebrates the anticipation of a still-to-come Saviour. The original pagan Easter, from which much of the peripheral activities of Easter are derived, is a celebration of fertility and life, symbolised by the fertile rabbit or, in ancient Egyptian times, the hare. Currently in our culture it’s the culturally correct and authentic bilby! These fertile creatures deliver eggs as a symbol of the endurance of the species and new life.
Within this amazing blend of religion, commercialism and paganism, there are common elements of celebration with a common theme: humankind is determined in its quest to defeat death and its corollary, the giving, receiving and preserving of life.
“Crucify him! Crucify him,” the mob demanded, as they watched the procession of soldiers and cross-bearing Jesus. Actively displaying His unconditional love for humankind, the Son of God endured the torment and darkness of a crucifixion, separation from His Father and the weight of the sins of our world. The darkness was short lived, however, for with the dawn of Easter Sunday, the third day following the crucifixion, Jesus Christ was resurrected and became our Easter gift, the gift of life.
He rose to give eternal life to all who would accept His gift of unconditional love. Here’s how:
God showers us with His love (1 John 4:9, 10). Because He so loved us, God sent His own son, Jesus, into our world, so that through His death—He died for our sins—we might live forever.
He’s given us the gift of light (John 1:4, 5). In Jesus is life—light to humanity—shining in the midst of the darkness of our world, but which for the most part, unfortunately, fails to comprehend it or even perceive its presence.
Jesus arose on Easter Sunday in a shower of light, in the midst of darkness, dispelling it. Our world is filled with darkness—hatred, cruelty, deception, confusion and depravity. His light, alive within us, shines forth to draw others to Him. It is a gift of light to the internal being. Humankind may be able to destroy the physical body but cannot dim the light of God within the soul. This light is eternal. He rose to give humankind this light.
He has given the gift of understanding and peace, which comes with his understanding (Matthew 11:28–30). Jesus calls the world-weary and hurt to Himself. “I will give you rest,” He says, “rest for the soul.” He carries life’s burdens, including the guilt of our sins, for us.
Bearing the sins of the world, He suffered cruelty, abuse, abandonment and all the suffering that depraved humanity and evil could muster. He understands the bad stuff of life. His death paid off our debt. Now each person can choose to be His—loved, accepted, cared for and cherished.
The pains and trials of earthly life can be left with Him to deal with—so why worry about deeds that someone else is caring for? Jesus understands earthly pain, having suffered it Himself. In His resurrection love our wounds are bathed and healed. Experiencing His love gives peace as well as the strength to live an abundant life, despite whatever dark force plots to destroy either the physical body or the spirit.
He has given the gift of forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Freedom from guilt comes when we confess our sin to God. He is a just God, willing to forgive the penitent who calls on Jesus to stand in their place before Him. He not only forgives, He purifies.
Jesus offers freedom from our sins, freedom to forgive ourselves and freedom from guilt.
Jesus, hanging from a cross, giving His life as a sacrifice for sin, is an acknowledgment that humanity is, indeed, a sinful race in need of being saved. His resurrection broke our bondage—our slavery—to sin. His gift enables humankind to have freedom from the past, as well as the shadows of the past.
He has given the gift of hope (John 3:16, 17). Because God loved us so much, He gave His Son to our world. God didn’t send Jesus to earth to condemn us but to save us. It’s up to us to accept this.
Merely maintaining our existence—physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually—is becoming more challenging in most places around the world, if not our own.
The power of the resurrection gives hope for the difficult and troubled times our world is facing. Disease, hunger, war, disaster, poverty and heartache are constant realities. Through the resurrection of Jesus, God gives hope. When our earthly life concludes, His assurance is that eternity can still be ours.
In the biblical original, Easter is a celebration of hope and certainty. Easter is the resurrection of the Son of God. It is celebrating Him who is the hope of this world. He is the Lord of love, the Lord of light, the Lord of understanding, the Lord of forgiveness and the Lord of life for those who choose Him.
| This is an extract from April 2004
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