Spring is striving to take hold after the Winter cold. All too often, Winter keeps holding on far past the date on the calendar stating, “First day of spring.” We’ve had blizzards even in April, though we can hope that won’t be the case this year. However hard Winter may cling, the weather itself doesn’t dictate one of the most important celebrations of the year.
While each holiday and celebration has a reason for being, Easter is the one that celebrates life itself–and so much more. Easter is the celebration of the God of all in the person of Jesus Christ who chose to come to earth. He came in human form because His creation, humans, had messed up. Instead of becoming more like him–loving, caring, reaching out to a world in need, His creation, we humans, turned away from Him, preferring rebellion, violence and evil to His loving guidance.
God gave us choices and we kept making the wrong ones. Choices, good or bad, have consequences. Jesus came to take the consequences for the choices we made to follow our, not His, way. He lived a life of caring, healing, helping and teaching. For that He was murdered on a cross. But Easter isn’t only about someone who died for you and me. Easter is about life. It’s about Jesus who conquered death that He might offer life to those who accept the gift He offers through His death and resurrection.
So many traditions point to this wonderful gift of life. Easter eggs remind us of Jesus coming out of the grave. Easter sunrise services are a reminder that a new day has dawned spiritually as well as physically. New clothes are a symbol of putting off the old and becoming a new person in Christ. The Biblical 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
It is fitting Easter is celebrated in the springtime when life is blooming all around us. Trees bud, flowers bloom, grass greens and returning birds burst into song as they build their nests to be filled with eggs and new life. It is a reminder that the one who died and rose again, created this world and the beauty all around us. He created you and me and desires a relationship with us. Why? Because He loves and cares for us. He has a positive plan and purpose for our lives because our lives have value to Him.
How do we make this God connection? We find the key in John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Following Christ is a choice–long term and daily.
May your Easter be filled with the knowledge, joy and peace of of the risen Lord.
By Carolyn R Scheidies
Published by the Kearney Hub 3/26/2018