[Perspective] Reflections on Easter

This coming Sunday is Easter Sunday. As I have grown older, my perception and understanding of Easter has grown dramatically. This article will focus on reflections of Easter.  

I remember in my early childhood before I became a Christian, my mother would always boil some eggs and color them with special coloring for this occasion. Somehow on Easter Sunday morning the eggs would miraculously be hidden out in the yard. My brother, my sister and I would have fun finding the eggs and placing them in our Easer baskets. Later, we had the privilege of eating the boiled eggs.  

After I became a Christian, I began to take more careful notice of Easter services in our church. I can remember that every Easter we sang “Up from the grave He arose….” Then the preacher would preach on the resurrection.  

Fast forward to the time I began to serve as a part-time minister of music while in college, and Easter began to take on another dimension. I began to realize the importance of the resurrection for Christians. Without the resurrection, we would have no hope for the future. Because Christ died and conquered death and Satan, our hope for life now and after death was sealed by the power of God. We could have confidence in this truth. 

Also, in these younger years of ministry, we began to have children in our family. As our two girls began to get old enough to understand scripture, we had to make sure they understood the meaning of the Easter season. It was extremely easy for them to get so focused on Easter eggs and hunting them. We had to make sure they knew the meaning of the resurrection. How thrilling it was to see them grow in their understanding of this important time. 

Fast forward to later in life when I had the privilege of serving as an interim pastor in several churches. I learned quickly that the services for Easter Sunday demanded a lot of thought and study.  

I also learned how important it was not to make fun of those who attend church just at Easter and Christmas. These people, Christians and non-Christians, needed to hear the truth of the Gospel. If I made fun of the fact that they attended services only on Christmas and Easter, they would probably not return for any other services and would not be open to the Gospel message. My preaching in these latter years began to really focus on the meaning of the resurrection. I believe everyone appreciated this focus. 

As I think back on my reflections, I began to identify some lessons I learned about Easter and the resurrection. They are as follows: 

• Easter is a very important time in the life of a church. Every Easter demands much prayer, planning, and implementation. Pastors and staff members should not take this time of celebration for granted. 

• We need to focus on the resurrection and not Easter egg hunts. I’m not against Easter egg hunts. I just want the main thing to be the main thing—the resurrection is the main thing. 

• We need to encourage members to invite friends, especially unsaved friends, to all the Easter services of our churches. Some churches have services every day of the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. What a terrific opportunity to invite friends to these services. 

• We need to do everything possible to make guests feel welcome at any of these services they attend. If we don’t, we may never see them again in our churches. 

As I reflect on Easter, I am grateful to God for the opportunity to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. One of the Easter songs had it right—-He Is Alive!!!