More Than Egg Hunts and Reese's
“What is Easter?” We asked some of the children from our Lone Hill Campus and there were three answers that stood out. My favorite answer was when one little boy said that “Easter is Jesus showing everyone how to dance.” That is incredible! Besides that awesome answer, one of the most common responses was “Easter is hunting for eggs” or “Easter is candy inside an egg.” Who doesn’t love going on a hunt to find treasure like candy inside an egg? I’m a dad and I STILL keep an extra eye out for any Reese’s peanut butter cups that might be hidden (especially the egg shaped ones because the only thing more delicious than Reese’s peanut butter cups are the holiday Reese’s peanut butter cups). As much as those first two answers made me smile, this third answer made me proud. One incredibly intelligent, wise, and wonderful child, who may or may not be my daughter, said “On Easter it’s fun having egg hunts BUT the real meaning of Easter is that Jesus rose from the dead!” Now, that is incredible (and I didn’t even have to bribe her with Reese’s to say it ).
But why did Jesus rise from the dead? Why was that so important? What does that mean for us? In the beginning, God created everything and human beings were the crown of His creation. God loves us and His plan was for humans to live in perfect harmony with Him, with each other, and with the earth. However, sin entered the world and everything changed. The Bible tells us sin is embedded in our very nature. If our trouble with it is not resolved, we will forever be separated from God and the life He has for us.
Religions, in general, focus on how people try to DO enough to please God. The problem is we don't know how much is "good enough" to please Him, and in fact, the Bible tells us that we will never be able to do enough on our own (Romans 3:23). According to the Bible, we need a solution that only God can give. So instead of being about what we have to DO to be right with God, Christianity is about what was DONE for us.
Jesus has DONE for us what we could never do on our own.
He lived a perfect life and died a horrible death on the cross to pay for all the wrong things we do. Jesus’ death for our sins means we can be pardoned and be in good standing with God. Our relationship with Him has been restored. Jesus rising from the dead also means He is alive today and working to bring shalom back to our relationships with others, the earth, and our souls. We must embrace Jesus with our whole heart by asking Him to forgive us and be our leader. This includes accepting His love for you and showing this love to others. We aren’t perfect; but we are loved by the One who is.
So, what is Easter? It’s recognizing that Jesus is the treasure we have been hunting for. It’s knowing His love that is sweeter than any Reese’s. It is the culmination of God’s story of salvation. Jesus brought this Good News and it is an open invitation to everyone because it's not about anything we can DO; it's about what He has already DONE for us! And I don’t know about you, but that makes me want to dance!
We’d love to celebrate with you this Easter!