Celebrating Resurrection Sunday All Year Long
I don't usually post on weekends. But I wanted to share a post I wrote a few years ago with all of you. It's my "Happy Easter" to each and every one of you:As the grass turns greener, the skies turn bluer and sunnier, and the pretty tree in our old front yard bursts into its full purpleness I am reminded of what Easter means and am stunned and thankful once again at the majesty of my Risen Lord. The birds are singing their hearts out in our cul-de-sac and I am minded of these verses:
Luke 19:35-40: They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
40"He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
As we celebrated Palm Sunday in church last week, and have special Easter services tomorrow, I am in a reflective mood. Thinking about the triumphal entry and the subsequent events of the week, I look again at my three children and am humbled by the sacrifice that God made on my behalf. To send His only Son to die for the very ones who hated Him - what a thought! And how for granted I take that sacrifice on a daily basis.
But what hope! And here is the part I love the most about Easter Sunday: I serve a RISEN LORD. Death could not hold Him, sin could not defeat Him, the tomb could not keep Him, our enemy - in what he must have believed was his moment of triumph - was defeated once and for all and forever because God could not, would not, and did not stay in the grave. And because of that - the grave itself holds no fear for those of us who believe. Death itself cannot deafeat or hold US because of Christ's victory over it. "Hallelujah, what a Savior!"
And so - what fear should grip me? In the face of knowing that by His victory I also have victory over death, what else should cause me to tremble? The economy? Politics? Money? The future? Not feeling like I have enough time to get everything done? Needing to fix an oil leak on our car? Whether or not this writing thing I am doing will ever amount to anything? How in the world we're going to be able to pay for multiple college tuitions? I am not saying that these concerns are not valid, but knowing that I serve one who defeated death itself can I not believe He can overcome these things as well? Do I choose only to believe parts of what He said? Can I believe that he conquered the grave and not believe that He will do as he promises in Matthew 6:25-34?
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What a box I often place God in! That is why I love Easter so much - it reminds me that God sprang out of every box, opened every door, defeated every enemy. It reminds me of His power, His majesty, and that in taking care of the Big things, that He is also a God who cares about the little things, the everyday things. What a comfort. What a blessing. What a promise to hold onto, not just this coming Sunday, but all year long. It is said that we should keep Christmas in our hearts all year long - but what about Easter? This year, I would love to hold on to Easter all year long. How about you, dear reader?
I leave you with one of my favorite Easter Sunday morning traditions... growing up, my mom played this song every Easter Sunday. Often I would wake up that morning to her playing this on the piano. Some years I would be up in time to sing it with her. Other years we'd play it on the tape-player (what is the name of that device? It's escaping me at the moment....) tape deck? That's going to bug me. Anyway, hope you enjoy, it's one of my all-time favorite songs. I still listen to it at full-blast every year on Easter Sunday morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb1ayV5sTtM
What is your favorite thing about Easter?