Easter

A Letter

Walking around campus this Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday, I am noticing signs and reminders everywhere that Easter is coming. After a days worth of looking at all these signs and listening to what the radio people have to say, I notice something that I find dispiriting. In all the recognition and anticipation of Easter weekend, there is no mention of its religious significance or of any religious connection at all, other than the various complaints that the Easter church services start too early. “It’s Sunday for Christ’s sake” I even heard someone say (this was said as a curse, not a dedication). The significance and the true meaning of Easter, it seems, has been misplaced among society in general. Now I’m not saying that nobody knows what it’s about, I’m not saying that you don’t know what it’s about, I’m just reacting to the erroneous identity that Easter seems to have taken on. It’s almost as if society (not individuals) has forgotten what Easter even is. For example, at the dining center at KSU, they would not allow a Christmas tree because of its religious significance, but an Easter tree is permissible. That implies that Easter has no religious significance, which is about as far from the truth as one can get.

Friends, Easter is not a time for relaxing, or gathering with family, or seeing old friends, looking for colored eggs (I have no idea where that one came from), or a reason why you have to wake up on Sunday morning to go to church, or eat candy, or spoil grandchildren, or have barbeques. Easter is a time to think about what Jesus Christ, the Lord and savior to all, the son of God, did for us. It is a time to ponder the sacrifice that he made on our behalf. Yes, in doing this, you might gather together with family, you might see old friends, you might have a barbeque, but all these things, every one of them, should have one unifying focus behind them. All these things should be done in honor and in remembrance of the unimaginable sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, chose to die on a cross so that you and I could experience what it means to know the Almighty Creator of everything, the one true God as He did; as Father. Jesus submitted himself to beatings, severe beatings. His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness (Isaiah 52:14). He wore a crown of thorns on his head, he was nailed, nailed to a cross and left to die for the guilt that he did not earn, but that we did. He suffered and died to free us from the condemnation that we heap upon ourselves, so that we could be made pure through Him. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). This is what Easter is: Christ’s death and resurrection. There is no other meaning of the holiday. Take this, think about it as you move through the festivities of the weekend. Think about why you are doing what you are doing. Think about Jesus and what He’s done. I wish you all the very best this Easter. May God bless you and all your loved ones.

In Christ I stand,

Henry

The Ultimate Sacrifice

A Journal Entry April 12, 2006

Sitting in Radina’s coffee house, I’m listening to David Crowder’s Illuminate album while looking through the gospels. I’m trying to find the part where Mary, the sister of Martha, wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair. The song “Only You” starts to play and I start to think about Jesus as a person and what he has done for me. Jesus was a man, a real living man. He built relationships, He offended people, He loved people, He was loved by many people. He slept, He ate, He drank, He laughed, He cried; He was a real man. He felt pain, He felt Happiness, joy, grief, sorrow, anger. This man that was born was a mother’s son, a father’s joy, and a brother to his siblings. He had a family that grew up with him. He had very, very deep ties with numerous people on earth. He drew people in to himself and they loved him like you or I love a close friend. All this, the joy that comes with all that I’ve described, he gave up so that I could come into the presence of God. He gave up his life, not only the biological functions of his body, but the social ties, the relationships that you and I would define our lives by, His LIFE. He gave up his LIFE for me; for you. He left all of it behind so that you and I could know what he knew: God as father. How do we honor such a sacrifice? Some of us go to church every Sunday. Some of us give a portion of our money to the work of God. Some of us even study the Bible. But I ask you, are all those things worthy of such a great sacrifice. Is Jesus’ sacrifice reflected in how we respond to it? I would argue no, it doesn’t. But in all fairness, His sacrifice is so great, so immeasurable that no one can reflect what it means properly. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try. He gave up His life for us, and what he asked in return is that we follow him and do the same. To honor the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we need to pick up our own cross and give our lives to God so that others might know the joy that we possess: God as father. Jesus gave his life, everything that he was so that we could know his joy. What will we do with it? Will we sit contently and inactive, or will we pass it on?