The Wonder of Easter...
How have you traditionally celebrated Easter? Perhaps yours is a family that typically celebrates by attending the Easter sunrise service, putting together an Easter basket for your children, and eating a traditional ham dinner after church. Perhaps you are looking forward to the family gathering together for a celebration after a long winter. This year may look different to you, but however you celebrate Easter this year, we pray that this year gives you a fresh perspective, a new view of the significance and daily impact that living in light of the resurrection brings followers of Christ.
We begin the Easter celebration this coming weekend by pausing to reflect and grieve over the ramifications of sin and the sacrifice it demanded of our Savior on Good Friday. Our grief is quickly turned to joy with the Resurrection Day, the empty tomb, and the wonder of the women who encounter a living Savior. Our celebration and reflection can be broadened as we take the time to look back at Jesus’ words to His disciples before His crucifixion. After they saw the victorious conquering of sin and death, they were able to comprehend and grasp this amazing life of freedom and purpose that Jesus had outlined for them while He was still on earth.
As followers of Christ, we are able to take this season of Easter, celebrate the incredible gift of grace through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and then reconsider our freedom in light of what He has uniquely equipped and called us to do. This coming weekend is one to celebrate and rejoice together! John Piper puts it this way:
”The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty.”
This is what we were made for! This is what our God has made possible for us! Let’s celebrate together and move forward in the victory of the cross! Happy Easter!