What Will You Do with Easter?
“He came to his own, and
his own people did not receive him.”
John 1:11 (ESV)
Reflecting this morning on Holy Week, I’ve been challenged by a question that one of our pastors asked yesterday: “What are you going to do with it?” By “it,” he meant: “What are you going to do with Easter?”
One thing that stood out to me this year in my Easter devotionals was the overall rejection of Jesus by the very people who had longed for and anxiously awaited his arrival for hundreds of years. Maybe it’s because we are currently living in an increasingly hostile “cancel culture” with more and more people, not just rejecting religion, but specifically rejecting Christianity. Few of us like to be rejected and probably none of us want to be cancelled. My first response to rejection is usually surprise, quickly followed by anger, and the desire to defend myself and prove others wrong. Jesus responded with silence, submission, and obedience.
Read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, and death and you’ll find that that Jesus was continually rejected by his own throughout his ministry. Several years ago, I heard a sermon by Dr. Kevin DeYoung who noted:
The Pharisees hated him.
The Sadducees loathed him.
The scribes debated him.
The Chief Priest accused him.
The Jews persecuted him.
His family didn’t believe him.
His hometown discounted him.
His disciples doubted him.
Peter denied him.
Judas betrayed him.
Herod harassed him.
Pilate condemned him.
And the Romans finally crucified him.
But crucifying Jesus failed to cancel him!
In his excellent book King’s Cross, Dr. Tim Keller writes: “In the decades before and after Jesus’s life and death there were dozens of messianic movements in Israel. In almost every case the messianic leader was killed…and that was it. Of all those dozens of movements, only one did not collapse after the death of the leader. Not only did it not collapse, it exploded. In the course of about three hundred years, it had spread through the entire Roman empire.”
What was the difference between Christianity and the other messianic movements? Jesus’ resurrection!
If the Gospel narratives ended with Jesus’ death on the cross, it wouldn’t be good news at all. But the story doesn’t end with Jesus’ death. God, the God of Great Reversal, raised Jesus from the dead. After being lifted up on the cross in crucifixion, Jesus is lifted high in resurrection, ascension, and exaltation. That means that all who “receive and believe in him” are received by him as children of God. (John 1:12) It also means that because He lives, we will too!
One of James Bruce’s favorite songs was Because He Lives written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. In Robert J. Morgan's book, Then Sings My Soul, Volume II, Gloria Gaither provides the background to this beloved hymn:
"In 1969 a combination of national turmoil and personal trouble, including an unexpected pregnancy, discouraged us and we occasionally asked each other. "If the world is like this now, what will it be in fifteen or sixteen years for our baby? What will this child face?" While pondering and praying about these things, we came to realize anew that our courage doesn't come from a stable world, for the world has never been stable. Jesus Himself was born in the cruelest of times. No, we have babies, raise families, and risk living because the Resurrection is true!
Our baby arrived safe and sound and we named him Benjamin, which means "most beloved son." A few weeks later "Because He Lives" was born in our hearts and poured from our souls:
"How sweet to hold our newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still, the calm assurance-
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.
Over the years this song has reassured us that our Lord's resurrection is the central truth of life. Because He lives, we CAN face tomorrow. Many times since, as our children grew, our business-life changed, our fortunes shifted, or our direction clouded, our family has found assurance in this very personal song. It's "our song," but we're grateful others have loved it too."
No matter our circumstances, remember that Jesus lives. And not just lives, but reigns and rules! That certainty gives us strength for today, hope for tomorrow, and the confidence and courage to live in light of eternity.
What will you do with Easter?