Don't Let Jesus Get Lost In Easter

 

More and more all I see this time of year is rabbits and eggs in all the stores. I dug one year through a pile of baskets and eggs in a store to find a cross decoration that was ultimately cracked from the way it had fallen to the bottom of the decoration pile. 

My heart sank as I pulled out the broken cross and thought…….this is more than figurative.

Did you ever stop to think how the "secular" customs surrounding Easter are truly bizarre? First, there is the Easter Bunny himself; a big rabbit that carries nests of eggs.

Rabbits are extremely good at carrying out "be fruitful and multiply" , and yes, eggs are perfect, encapsulated symbols of new life to come….. But rabbits don't lay eggs or make nests.

Adults dismiss the Easter Bunny as a leftover legacy from earlier nature-based celebrations of spring's arrival and as an innocuous symbol of the new life that is abundant in springtime.

What does Easter mean to you? besides fluffy bunnies, brightly colored eggs, hidden baskets, and lots of chocolate candy.

Easter is certainly a happy day, and God loves to hear the laughter of little children; but, if you are an adult and this is all that Easter means to you, then there is something that you are missing.

Interestingly enough, the word "Easter" appears nowhere in the Bible. The word "Easter" was originally a pagan term. It was the name of a spring festival in honor of the goddess of light and spring whose name in Anglo-Saxon was Eastre. Sometime, about the Eighth Century, the name was transformed by the Anglo-Saxons to the Christian festival that was designated to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

I’ll spare you any more of my “Geeky-Pastoral” tid-bits.

But back to the question at hand. For you as a Christian, what does Easter mean? Or, perhaps, more appropriately stated, as a Christian what does the resurrection of Christ mean personally to you?

Most of us would probably say, "The resurrection of Christ means that I and my loved ones will be resurrected with Christ," or "The resurrection means eternal life - everlasting life."

The more theologically oriented among you might say, "The resurrection is God's vindication of Christ's victory on the cross over sin, death, and the Devil."

Now, all of these are good answers. Easter means all of this - and more!

But Jesus said…"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

We are called by the Gospel to go out into the world, and introduce people to Christ! We’ve been given the power of the Holy Spirit to do that.

That’s very different than bunnies and eggs.

Right after pulling out that cracked cross from the bottom of the pile of Easter decorations, my first thought was; “Jesus is lost in Easter.”

If you have children…I’m not saying we should call off the egg hunts and forget the Easter baskets. But if you have children you need to help them understand the story of Christ in the celebration of Easter. Our children are the first people we need to evangelize to!

Every age range will be different and each parent knows the ways their child understands things. There are some wonderful children’s bibles and books to help you along the way.

What about us adults? We can get caught up in the Easter hype as well. I saw a t-shirt recently that says “Silly Rabbit Easter is for Jesus!” I smiled and thought…”Exactly!”

We need to have that kind of attitude this time of year. To keep the hype in check and stay grounded in the real story.

Dive into the gospels during Lent to keep your heart and mind aligned with the real story unfolding as we approach Holy Week and Easter. Take some time to think of ways that you can share Jesus with others. Maybe that’s inviting someone to church. Maybe it’s asking those struggling around you if you can pray for them. Maybe it’s simply starting relationships with people who need the love of Christ through you.

It is not easy to preach Christ to an indifferent and an unconcerned world. Most of us are self-conscious, too timid, and even to embarrassed to make a public witness.

 However, we have to remember that God does not ask us to witness with our own strength. He gives us help.

We have received the power of the Holy Spirit which enables us to pass that word on to others. God never asks us to do anything that he does not, at the same time, give us the power to achieve. The living Lord is alive in you. He will enlighten and enliven you to proclaim his Gospel to the world.

Don’t let Jesus get lost in Easter.

 

-Pastor Patti