What Does Easter Mean to You?

This Sunday, millions of people will celebrate a holiday known as Easter. There are nearly as many Easter traditions around the world as there are candy-filled plastic eggs. But with all of the popularity surrounding this annual celebration, I have but one question to ask. What does Easter mean to you?

Many people enjoy participating in egg extravaganzas, ranging from simple Easter egg hunts to elaborate egg drops. Others savor the opportunity to shop for a new spring outfit, hoping to receive a lot of compliments on Easter Sunday. Of course, there are also individuals whose take on Easter is strictly ruled by their taste buds, considering the colorful hard-boiled eggs, baskets filled with chocolate, and special dinner menus at many restaurants. Unfortunately, some people even look forward to Easter because it is one of the two times a year they actually attend church services.

From greeting cards to holiday decorations, Easter has sadly become an overly commercialized holiday much like Christmas. Although the fanfare may seem innocent, it often overshadows the true reason for the holiday. This weekend is a time to reflect on the gift God gave to all mankind. He gave His only Son. Instead of looking at the Easter bunny, our focus should be on Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, the name Easter has pagan roots, coming from the name Ishtar. Some traditions, such as the Easter egg, symbolize fertility, paying homage to this ancient goddess of fertility. Personally, I like to refer to this special day as Resurrection Sunday instead of Easter. Why? Because I do not honor a pagan goddess, I serve the one true living God. He is the only One who has the power to create, to heal, or to save.

Resurrection Sunday is a day to worship God and thank Him for the gift of salvation. John 3:16 (NIV) says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God gave His Son to die for us because He loved us. The love God has for us is greater than any love on the face of the earth. God’s Word says we have all sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard (Rom. 3:23). Yet, God gave His only Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins, knowing that many would still reject this most wondrous act of love.

On Good Friday, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary. Our Lord was beaten until He was almost unrecognizable. He was spit upon and mocked. A crown of thorns was pressed into His skull. Nails were driven into His hands and His feet. A spear was thrust into His side. As He hung on the cross, He cried out, “’My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matt. 27:46). He could have called thousands of angels, but He stayed on the cross so you and I could receive redemption.

You may be wondering why Jesus obeyed His Father, enduring such agony on the cross. Jesus did not give His life to gain fame and fortune. He was not striving to garner notoriety among the people of His day. He gave His life because of love (I John 3:16). His sacrifice was rare. Christ died for people who didn’t even love Him in return. Romans 5:8 (NIV) says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” As the Bible mentions, some people might be willing to give their life for a good man, but most people would not be willing to sacrifice their life for an evil person. Yet that is exactly what God did for us.

Of course, the story doesn’t end there. As Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross, He was placed in a borrowed tomb. Three days later, Jesus rose up from the grave. He conquered death forevermore. Right this moment, He is sitting at the right hand of His Father, in Heaven, interceding on our behalf. Romans 8:34 (NIV) says, “Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Jesus loves us so much that He acts as a mediator on our behalf, pleading for us that we should not perish, but accept the gift of eternal life.

One day very soon, Jesus Christ will return to this earth. But when He comes back to earth, He is not coming back to be rejected and spit upon. Instead, He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords, to take His children home to be with Him for all eternity.

Have you made preparations for Christ’s return? If you confess your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ, then you can receive the priceless gift of salvation that only comes from knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Jesus said, “‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 NLT). When it is all said and done, a relationship with Christ is the only thing that can provide true redemption and lasting hope. For hope is not found in a bunny, an egg, or even a church service. Eternal hope is only found through Jesus Christ.

Cracked Eggs

When was the last time you cracked an egg?  Perhaps it was just this morning as you were making breakfast.  Maybe it was this past Easter when you cracked open the first boiled egg that you so carefully decorated with your children.  Or maybe you haven’t cracked an egg since the summer camp where you and your fellow campers participated in an egg toss.  Eggs are a wonderful example of God’s delicate handiwork.  From delicious meals to newborn chicks, eggs end hunger and give birth to new life.  But what good is an egg until it’s cracked?

An egg’s shell is such an intricate container, bearing the perfect size and shape to maintain the egg or chick inside in its proper position and climate.  While this shell serves its purpose well, it is extraordinarily fragile.  The tiniest tap on the shell can result in a crack.  The egg whites start to trickle out.  Soon the egg yolk flows out in one continuous motion.  Soon all that is left is an empty shell, cracked and broken.

In reality, you and I are a lot like this egg.  We have this outer shell that often serves as a shield from physical, emotional, or mental heartache.  Yet this wall that we put up is extremely delicate, just like an egg shell.  Many times, one bit of news can seemingly cause our shell to crack, or even the whole world around us to crumble.

The loss of a loved one, the ending of a marriage through divorce, the suffering of a child who is battling a life-threatening disease, the burden of possible bankruptcy…all of these things can cause our life to go into a tailspin.  When our life takes an unplanned turn such as these, this is the moment our shell is compromised.

Inevitably, the shell cracks.  Everything within us vanishes, leaving us feeling alone, frightened, and empty, just like the remains of a cracked egg.  The raw emotions we have held in for so long begin to ooze their way out of this shell that we have hid in for so long.  But it is only once the shell is cracked that people realize who we really are inside.  They finally get to see the real person who has been hiding in a broken shell.

Inevitably, an egg is useless unless it is broken. You cannot eat an egg unless the shell is broken.  Despite the many comedy routines depicting the “baker” mixing whole eggs into the batter, you can’t bake with an egg that is still in its shell.  Even a chick that is growing inside of an egg eventually breaks out of the shell.  The shell simply serves as a vessel to ingeniously hold the contents inside.  But this shell only holds these contents for a season.  Without first cracking the shell, the egg is essentially useless in its unbroken state.

Similarly, you and I live in another type of shell.  The only question is whether or not you live in a broken or unbroken shell.  Do you hold all of your emotions inside, hoping no one will see the “real you?”  Has there been a time when you said you were “okay,” even though the pain and grief were nearly too much to bear?  Personally, I have been there.  I know what it’s like to live inside of a shell, afraid to let your emotions spill through the cracks.  Let me tell you that you cannot truly enjoy life, constantly trying to patch up the cracks.

I want to encourage you to break out of your shell.  Don’t worry about whether or not the egg yolk and whites spill out.  Allow others to see the real gift that lies inside of you.  Just like a little baby chick hatching from its shell, you can also blossom into a beautiful miracle.  God can take you out of your shell and give you the life you have always dreamed of living.  He’s a specialist when it comes to taking what’s broken and making it whole.  Don’t hide in your shell any longer; embrace a new life with Christ!

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer