Happy Easter! This special greeting is loaded with meaning. With these two simple words, our whole past, present and future is filled with hope and power. What else is there really to say? How about “Alleluia, Christ is Risen!”?
It seems redundant to a child of God to say “Christ is Risen!” After all, that is what is meant by Happy Easter. Without a resurrection there would be no Easter. Let’s not be short sighted. In the community around us, fewer people know what Easter means. According to a 2014 study by Pew Research, only 55% of college graduates say they believe in God with absolute certainty. That isn’t just the Christian God; that is all gods. The number of people that celebrate the resurrection of Jesus as their own on Easter is probably less than half.
What are we to do about this? I think the greatest thing we can do about this is to simply be clear about why we are celebrating. For us, this isn’t about Spring starting or baskets or special worship services or family get-togethers. Well, it is about all that, but it is also more than that. The reason we celebrate all this at Easter is because Christ is Risen, our sins are forgiven and we are free.
This Easter we look forward to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. We will celebrate with music and food and worship and presents. This Easter, we are excited about what it all means for our everyday lives as well as our eternal reality. This Easter, let’s also remember the number of people around us that are far from God or don’t realize the resurrection of Jesus was for them, too. This Easter let’s open our eyes, our minds and our hearts like Christ did and bring His love to the whole world.
Alleluia, Christ is Risen! Alleluia, I have been made new! Alleluia, this message is for the whole world!
He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!
