Easter: Do You Have Your Eggs In The Wrong Basket?

Easter is such a wonderful time. Easter egg hunts! Hey, Easter is a great time for Kids. Just like other holidays, families renew bonds and show love that is healthy for all of our children to experience. What are some other things? New dresses are bought by ladies to wear to church services, flowers are often bought and donated especially for these services, and we are reminded about events that took place across the world almost 2000 years ago. What does man think of when the Holiday of Easter comes around each April ?

There are always the family get together. Besides Christmas and perhaps Mother’s day, Easter is one of the main times families plan time to just be together. In these busy times, that fact in itself is something that makes Easter special. When these families get together the meal at the parents home is often following attending church. I do not have the figures in front of me, but logic tells me that Easter has to be one of the most attended Sundays of the year for churches. Why is this so ? Believe it or not, the vast majority of Americans believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose the first day of the week; Sunday. I am not sure that these people who attend on Easter, but do not regularly attend on other Sundays, are there for that reason alone though. If the truth be known, most are attending because of tradition. You see, we Americans are heavy in tradition. We do things because,” that’s the way it’s always been done”. So I guess you could say some attend as a sort of Gospel insurance renewal. “ Ooops, Dear our policy is running out at midnight Saturday we better go to church Easter.”

Don’t get me wrong, though. If the only day a person thinks about Jesus is Christmas or Easter it is better than no days at all. Amen?

Isn’t it sad though that our society celebrates the birth of Jesus and the death and resurrection of Jesus in ways that either commercially or spiritually do not represent the true spirit of the miraculous events? A person I work with and I were talking Tuesday, I mentioned how our church was working on a play about the Rapture. He looked at me funny and I realized he did not know what the Rapture was. “The Rapture is when Jesus will appear in the clouds and call up the true believers in Christ, “ I explained. “Oh,” he said, having obviously heard more than he ever wanted pertaining to the subject. “I think we’re (his family) going to church Sunday.” he said matter of factly. “Great!”, I approved. “It’s either this Sunday or next. Whichever is Easter.” “Better make sure which one it is,” I instructed. He saw my sarcasm and laughed, “Yeah, wouldn’t want to show up on the wrong day!” “Just wake up Sunday and if the Easter Bunny has come, put your suit on.” “Good Idea,” he joked as he walked away.

No, That wouldn’t be too great to show up on the wrong day. It would be even worse my friends if Jesus had showed up on the wrong day. I have mentioned several times the Easter church services. Yes, unfortunately we Christians even show more enthusiasm on Easter Sunday than usual. After all this is the Story of Christ ! Wouldn’t it be great though if we celebrated Christ every Sunday--Better still every day, with the energy we emit on Easter Sunday?

What does Easter mean to God? It is a time after His Son was murdered at the hands of the people He came to help. God allowed this to happen because he loves us so. You know, that statement can be used and abused; kinda like the statement, “I love you”. It is so special the first time you hear it. Soon however, the words become less meaningful. But just as your love for your loved one needs to be emphasized, so does God’s eternal love for us.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Because he loves us so. Why did Jesus die on the cross and later resurrect himself? Yes, that is what I said, “resurrect himself” .

John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Still, why did Jesus die on the cross and rise two days later? That Is a good question. One we will examine further later.

What was going on around this time, approximately 1968 years ago? Jesus was in his third year of ministry on Earth. He had chosen twelve disciples. He was preaching the word of God. Meanwhile in Rome, the Roman empire was getting their feathers ruffled. They had a religious machine going and it had plenty of fuel to maintain this eight cylinder gas guzzler. Jesus was offering a new improved model with more room, more comfort, and better gas mileage. So the Romans began plotting and conspiring to maintain their monopoly.