Somehow, year after year, Easter always creeps up on me. But it surprises me differently than Christmas does. Usually when I realize it's Easter time, I don't think "Oh man! Where did that come from? I'm running out of time to do everything I've planned to do!" Instead, I think, "Umm...what do we do now?"
I don't know why I'm more into Christmas than Easter. To be honest I don't think it's about being "into" either of them! Christmas seems to be much more commercialized, and maybe that's why I plan for and anticipate it a month ahead of time. Easter, on the other hand, sort of just happens, and our family never really made a big deal out of it. We used to meet up with extended relatives and share a meal together, but over the years it's become less significant, and unfortunately in my mind now it is often just a nice long weekend.
But I want it to be different.
If I am intentional about trying to put the right focus on Christmas (namely, celebrating the birth of Christ), then why am I not as intentional with celebrating the true meaning of Easter? They go hand in hand - the birth of Jesus, and his death and resurrection.
So I'm in the same frame of mind right now as I was back in December. What traditions can my husband and I initiate in our family that can make Easter deep, meaningful, and celebratory? I don't actually care too much if December and April are the "real" dates of Christ's birth, and the Passion. I think it's great that there's a time carved out in the year anyways where Christians can gather together and celebrate with intentionality. And hey, these are the two times of the year where the most people go to church, even those who don't normally attend! If we don't share the true message of the Gospel now, when will we?
Anyways, being here in Germany, I'm discovering one cultural tradition:
Easter Trees! People take "
Frühling" (Spring) branches and hang little decorated eggs on them. It was definitely different to see all different sorts of these on neighbors' lawns, kitchen tables, etc., but I liked the idea enough to make one of my own...
Ta-da!
I made the 3-D paper eggs by myself using this online tutorial (click here).
Maybe one reason I don't decorate as much in the spring is because I'm not a huge fan of light pastel colors - pink, yellow, etc. Usually I go more for dark, rich colors (notice our brown wall!) But it's still fun to have a little brightness in the house.
I made 7 eggs for my tree, so I thought I'd blog about 7 promises/reasons for hope. Mogi's parents have chickens out back, and it's nice to be able to get fresh eggs all the time. It's amazing how you can feed chickens all your leftovers, and basically anything, and in turn they produce food for you! A genius system! But it's a cool picture of what God does - he takes all our crap, our pain, our sin, and turns it into something useful. Eggs also symbolize new life...which is what Easter is all about!
So, with Easter weekend coming up, here's my reflection on 7 things that Christ's death and resurrection accomplished:
1) Forgiveness and Freedom from the punishment of sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Christ died so that we wouldn't have to! Our debt is paid! This is the most basic principle of Christianity, and I know I overlook it too easily. It is a powerful truth!
2)
Freedom from sin. Not only are we saved from the
wages of sin...we are saved
from sin. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free...." (Galatians 5:1). Instead of being a "slave to sin" as the Bible puts us, we are now slaves to righteousness. And ironically, that is the most freeing thing ever! Christ gives us grace upon grace, but that doesn't mean we can use it as a license to do whatever we want. (Don't even get me started on that - my favorite topic! I'll save it for another post.) Suffice it to say, sin doesn't rule our life anymore. We aren't bound by its temptations and the destruction it brings.
3)
Eternal life. “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." (John 3:16) Not only is the punishment that we deserved dealt with, but we have the promise of a life forever with God. When I was young I tried to think about how long "eternity" is. My brain hurt after awhile!
4)
Strength for this life. Life as a believer in Christ isn't just about the future - it concerns today, too. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) Because Christ didn't stay dead, but rose from the grave, his life-sustaining power is available for us today. He knows what we're walking through and wants to help!
5)
Purpose. "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) Being created "in Christ" means that our lives are also now resurrected...restored. We have a purpose to fulfill! Our lives are not meaningless; they were intentionally designed by our Maker.
6)
Healing. Christ's death brought about spiritual healing, yes, but he also died so that we don't have to deal with sickness and death and weapons of the enemy like depression, bitterness, generational curses, etc. "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).
7)
Victory.
"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." (1 John 3:8) The "
Résumé" of Satan is to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus came so that we could have life, and life abundantly (John 10:10). Putting our faith in Christ means He has authority over our lives. We are his children, and no one can snatch us out of His hand. Through Christ we are "more than conquerors" because we know His love for us is unchanging (Romans 8:37).
{So, my friends...Happy Easter! May you rejoice in the reality of the forgiveness, hope, freedom, life, purpose, victory, strength and healing that is available in Christ!}
Questions for discussion:
- What are meaningful Easter traditions in your family?
- What does Easter mean to you?
- Who is Jesus to you?
- Are you living in the abundance that Christ died to offer you? (If you think you're not, leave a comment, or write me an email - I would love to pray for you!)
