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Do you remember as a kid wishing that every day could be Christmas?
Imagine waking up each morning to the excitement of Christmas morning. Every day, there would be more presents to open. Every day, there would be family gatherings and wonderful food and beautiful decorations. Christmas carols would be heard 365 days a year. Christmas trees would never be taken down. And of course, Christmas vacation wouldn't come to an end after January 1.
Such fantasies are appealing to kids. But to adults, not so much. We realize that we couldn't possibly keep up the level of excitement and energy that Christmas requires much beyond December 25. Christmas carols would certainly get old after a while. Although I've heard of people who keep a room of their house perpetually decorated for Christmas, most of us would soon tire of the decor. And how many of us could even think of giving gifts to family and friends every single day of the year? Most of us struggle to do that once a year.
No, I think we're much better off sticking with Christmas coming only once each year, thank you. But Easter is a different matter. For Christians, celebrating Easter all year long isn't just a childish fantasy; it ought to be reality.
I'm not talking about constantly hiding Easter eggs and eating the ears off chocolate bunnies. Instead, let's look at what Easter is really all about. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Easter's empty tomb means that the payment He made for our sins on Good Friday's cross was complete. Easter means that we do not worship a dead prophet, but rather, a living savior. And Easter means that we, too, will rise and live forever with our risen lord.
Easter is really the heart and core of the Christian faith. Everything we believe in and hope for centers on the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. The early Christians understood that. They recognized that Christ's resurrection from the dead is something that's too important only to celebrate once a year. And so the first century Christian leaders, who understood that the Old Testament laws regarding worshiping on the Sabbath (Saturday) were no longer in force, quickly settled on Sunday as the normal day for worship.
Why Sunday? Because that's the day Christ rose. By making Sunday the day they worshiped, those early Christians were really making every time they gathered for worship a remembrance and celebration of Christ's resurrection. While it's true that God has not made a law for New Testament believers that we must worship on this day, for nearly 2,000 years, the vast majority of Christians have continued this tradition. No matter what time of year it is, every Sunday is really a mini-Easter celebration.
But let's not just remember and rejoice in Christ's resurrection on Sunday. Let's do it seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Because the reality is, Christ's resurrection has changed everything. It impacts absolutely every aspect of our lives. It gives us hope, confidence, purpose, and joy, not just once a year or once a week, but every day.
Go ahead and put away the Easter baskets for another year. Don't feel obligated to have jelly beans and Peeps always on hand. But celebrate the resurrection of our Savior every day.
Imagine waking up each morning to the excitement of Christmas morning. Every day, there would be more presents to open. Every day, there would be family gatherings and wonderful food and beautiful decorations. Christmas carols would be heard 365 days a year. Christmas trees would never be taken down. And of course, Christmas vacation wouldn't come to an end after January 1.
Such fantasies are appealing to kids. But to adults, not so much. We realize that we couldn't possibly keep up the level of excitement and energy that Christmas requires much beyond December 25. Christmas carols would certainly get old after a while. Although I've heard of people who keep a room of their house perpetually decorated for Christmas, most of us would soon tire of the decor. And how many of us could even think of giving gifts to family and friends every single day of the year? Most of us struggle to do that once a year.
No, I think we're much better off sticking with Christmas coming only once each year, thank you. But Easter is a different matter. For Christians, celebrating Easter all year long isn't just a childish fantasy; it ought to be reality.
I'm not talking about constantly hiding Easter eggs and eating the ears off chocolate bunnies. Instead, let's look at what Easter is really all about. Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Easter's empty tomb means that the payment He made for our sins on Good Friday's cross was complete. Easter means that we do not worship a dead prophet, but rather, a living savior. And Easter means that we, too, will rise and live forever with our risen lord.
Easter is really the heart and core of the Christian faith. Everything we believe in and hope for centers on the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. The early Christians understood that. They recognized that Christ's resurrection from the dead is something that's too important only to celebrate once a year. And so the first century Christian leaders, who understood that the Old Testament laws regarding worshiping on the Sabbath (Saturday) were no longer in force, quickly settled on Sunday as the normal day for worship.
Why Sunday? Because that's the day Christ rose. By making Sunday the day they worshiped, those early Christians were really making every time they gathered for worship a remembrance and celebration of Christ's resurrection. While it's true that God has not made a law for New Testament believers that we must worship on this day, for nearly 2,000 years, the vast majority of Christians have continued this tradition. No matter what time of year it is, every Sunday is really a mini-Easter celebration.
But let's not just remember and rejoice in Christ's resurrection on Sunday. Let's do it seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Because the reality is, Christ's resurrection has changed everything. It impacts absolutely every aspect of our lives. It gives us hope, confidence, purpose, and joy, not just once a year or once a week, but every day.
Go ahead and put away the Easter baskets for another year. Don't feel obligated to have jelly beans and Peeps always on hand. But celebrate the resurrection of our Savior every day.
