I'm sure most every Christian that just read that headline was ready to jump on me for making such a claim, but hear me out.
We celebrate Easter once a year. We get dressed up in our nicest, brightest clothes. Churches make their services bigger and better. We lift our hands higher and reflect more on the death and resurrection of Jesus more on this one weekend than we do all other days of the year.
To point back to the service I heard this weekend: we treat Easter more as an event than we do an experience that effects our lives every single day.
I understand why we choose one day a year to celebrate this historic and liberating man's selfless actions. It's the same reason we choose to celebrate His birth on Dec. 25 every year. It's a way to make sure that despite how our lives are all the other 364 days a year, we have one day that is dedicated to remembering the truly horrific and awesome thing our Savior did for us who were the least deserving of salvation.
So trust me, I get it. I support it. But Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection, is just like any other day.
And here's why.
The event that took place on that cross was not just a quick act of sacrifice that is to be remembered once a year. No, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus is an act of love and mercy and grace that should be remembered every day.
What happened on that day when the tomb was found empty gave us hope for the rest of eternity. We never again had to wonder if we were loved, if we had a place in this world, what our purpose was, or whom we were created for. We were given a hope for a new life. We were shown love that exceeds any love another human being could show to us.
This empty tomb represented a new life that we could live in confidence.
It gave everyone the strength they needed to continue preaching the Good News of Jesus. It gave us the authority to spread His name across the lands with boldness and persistence.
Easter is a special day. It is a day that we dedicate fully to remembering the Lord and His goodness, but is it not an event that is just to be remembered for 24 hours.
The story behind Easter---the death and the resurrection should be in our minds, our hearts, our lips, every minute of every day. It should be the thing that wakes us up in the mornings and keeps us going throughout the day.
It's the thing that gives us hope when we feel hopeless and gives us strength when we feel weak. It is an event that gives us a new perspective on what our entire lives are now shaped around.
Easter is not a once a year celebration, but a 24/7, 365 days a year experience that should change the way we view life and the way we move about in it.
The tomb was not empty for a day, but stayed empty for the rest of time. Jesus did not rise from the dead for a couple of minutes, but defeated death for eternity.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" -1 Corinthians 15:55
I pray that we let this Easter season carry us through the year, and not be a day that just gets pushed to the back of our minds until it's time to pull out the bright dresses and suits again.
Happy resurrection day. Today and everyday.
