Easter means so many things to people in our culture today. As Christians, it’s very easy to just fall in line with the culture and go through this “holiday” like everyone else whether they are a follower of Jesus or not. “Easter” has taken a Christian celebration and turned it into yet another marketplace, secular endeavor. I’m not necessarily saying smash your eggs, remove your bunnies, and get rid of the baskets, but as followers of the resurrected Jesus, I want to ask you a very important question… How do YOU approach what we call “Easter Sunday”?

Personally, I like the term “Resurrection Sunday” because it clearly articulates exactly what the day is about… Jesus’ Resurrection. We would all probably agree this day isn’t about bunnies, eggs, gifts, baskets, or dressing up in nice clothes, but the way we often go about this day says that we can easily push the resurrection to the backseat.

As next week approaches and the opportunities to reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection increase, I wonder how many will actually do just that: REFLECT. Many people will breeze through the week on spiritual cruise control, do the normal Easter thing, attend a service on Sunday, eat lunch with family, and completely miss the magnitude of what we celebrate… Jesus’ resurrection. Most will avoid spiritual conversation as a family and never take time to unpack what this day means for the church.

I want to challenge you to identify with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Don’t just coast through next week…

  • Reflect on the weight of your sinfulness and the gift of God’s love poured out through Jesus.
  • Consider the hopeless seasons of your life and be reminded of the hope that was made available when Jesus resurrected.
  • Think about the times in your life when you have complained about being treated “unfairly” but then remember how Jesus (who knew no sin) took on your sin in your place.
  • Celebrate that there’s more to this life than what you are feeling at your best or worst because the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead is living inside of all followers of Jesus. Therefore, the possibilities are endless as to what God can do.

The bottom line is this… All the focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus will actually do very little for you next week if you don’t engage with it. Let your guard down. Allow God to move in you emotionally. Worship Him. Sing to Him. Pray to Him. Commune with God. Let Him speak fresh into the very core of who you are.

Whatever you do over the next week around “Easter” just give yourself a chance to prioritize what this is truly about. Nice clothes, family meals, and egg hunts are what they are, but they are not what this season is about. To experience those things and to not uniquely experience the presence of Jesus is to completely miss out on a gift God wants you to receive.

On Thursday, April 18th, we’re having a night of worship to help jumpstart in you everything that I’ve shared above. I hope you will make plans to join us. We’ll have dinner at 6:00, and the service will start around 6:45. Come for both or only the service, but RSVP HERE if you’re coming for dinner. Let’s seize this golden opportunity to draw close to our Savior who loves us and gave Himself up for our sake! Then, on Resurrection Sunday, we’ll offer two opportunities (9:30 & 11:00) for you to gather and celebrate the hope we have in Jesus!

For those of you with young kids, here’s a great resource to help you talk to your kids about sin, forgiveness, and the resurrection! Click HERE