The Pulse: Easter Isn’t Over

Yesterday, we celebrated the reality of Jesus’ resurrection together through “Easter on the Lawn” (if you missed the service, watch it here). The resurrection of Jesus is what launched the Christian movement in the first century, and theologically, it forms the very foundation of our faith (as Paul says, “if Christ was not raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins”). So, Easter is a big deal!

One of the things that is unfortunate about the way we celebrate Easter in most Protestant church traditions is that Easter, typically, is one day long. We dress up for church, sing and remember the resurrection of Jesus, hunt for Easter eggs, and then we move on. In various other Christian traditions, Easter Sunday marks the beginning of a season called Eastertide. It lasts 7 weeks and ends with Pentecost Sunday… 50 days when the church intentionally soaks in the reality of the resurrection. That’s longer than the Christmas season.

One of the benefits of a practice like that is it keeps the resurrection of Jesus at the forefront of our hearts and minds for a whole season of time. As human beings, we are chronic forgetters (it’s why the command “remember” shows up over 200 times in Scripture). It takes active, intentional effort to stay grounded in what’s true. And that applies to the way we think of the resurrection, too.

So here’s the challenge for us, as believers in Jesus – though the calendar moves on, let your heart linger on the truth that Jesus has been raised from the dead, is alive, and is reigning at the right hand of God the Father. Allow that reality to bear weight on your life today, even though the Easter baskets are back in the attic (or on their way to getting there).

Matt

P.S. Join us this Sunday as we kick off a new teaching series about wisdom for life called Foolproof. See you onsite or online at 9:15 and 11am!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… 1 Peter 1:3