WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE – FORGIVEN AND SAVED

“Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.”– Janine di Giovanni;” If Easter says anything to us today, it says this: You can put truth in a grave but it won’t stay there.”– Clarence W. Hall; Easter is very important to me. It’s a second chance.”– Reba McEntire; “The Easter eggs symbolizes our ability to break out of the hardened, protective shell we’ve surrounded ourselves with that limits our thoughts and beliefs. As we break open our hearts and minds we discover a transformation to new, life enhancing thoughts and beliefs.”– Siobhan Shaw ;“A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.”– Mahatma Gandhi.

Many denominations believe on Christ’s resurrection but a few disagree with the name, Easter and its celebration. They reason that the word Easter is in no where found in the bible and Christ did not ask his disciple to celebrate it. The exact origin of this religious feast day’s name Easter appears unknown or has conflicting stories. Some sources claim that the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, for which a spring festival was held annually when all life was being renewed. Another source claim that Easter was originally the celebration of ISHTAR (pronounced Easter), the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols (like egg and bunny) were and still are fertility and sex symbols. After Constantine decided to Christianized the empire, Easter was changed to represent Jesus resurrection. Yet another pagan religious source claim that about 200 BC, mystery cults began in Rome and most notable was the Cybele cult, Attis, a god of ever-reviving vegetation; believed to have been born of a virgin, he died and was reborn annually. They appear to have existed before the inception of people of the Way. That’s not surprising because before the coming of Christianity, some sort of traditional and cultural religion existed in every region and ancient cities.

It happened that whenever and wherever Christian worshippers celebrated the death and resurrection of Christ, Pagan worship of Attis also continued with the worship of their gods on the same date, in the same region. These pagans and Christians used to quarrel bitterly over the superiority and supremacy of their God – true prototype and imitation. These struggles and confrontations went on until Christian practice over took the pagan worship of Attis. Modern day Christians regard the Attis legend story and practice as myth of insignificant value and Christ virgin birth, sufferings, death and resurrection as true God and real worship; which has become the crux of Christian faith.

Easter is just more than a single day of celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It represents a changed life for all those who believe in Christ as their Savior and Lord of life in daily living. It involves an entire season of the Christian Church year that begins with a “Lent” period of 40 days; a time of reflection and penance in commemoration of the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent alone fasting and praying in the wilderness in preparation for His work of redemption of the whole world. The week proceeding Easter is called the Holy week and it includes Maundy Thursday that commemorates Jesus’ last Supper (Holy Communion) with His disciples and Good Friday, the day of His crucifixion. Through His suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and granted all who believe in Him eternal life. Even today, those who accept Christ and His resurrection power live a daily life of victory.

As Christians, Easter brings the celebration of the most triumphant and victorious day in human history. This is a day Jesus victoriously defeated death, Satan, power of sin and hell. He accomplished this feat through His death, burial and resurrection. He fulfilled the purpose of His birth, life and ministry. “………give Him name, Jesus because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “….they shall call Him Immanuel which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). John the Baptist said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8). Apostle Paul wrote, “God’s purpose has now been revealed by the appearance of our Savior, Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

Easter is also the celebration of a living hope and incorruptible inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4). Hope of living daily victory in the power of the Holy Spirit and that He who raised Jesus from death dwells in us. We are no longer slaves of sin and fears of life but shall live as over comers. By faith in the living Christ every dead thing in us shall possess power to live again. Every power of the enemy over us has been brought under us. We have power over all the powers of and to subdue the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt us (Luke 10:10). We can speak to our illness, mountains and against every oppressing circumstances of life and can command the enemies to leave and they obey because what we have inside us is greater than what the enemies have.

We are the forgiven people, the Easter people whose master has changed and under a new canopy. We live no longer to ourselves but unto Him who have redeemed us and restore us unto God, the Father. We must learn to forgive others just as Christ has forgiven us and enjoy the peace of God. Death holds no longer any sting because Christ has abolished it. Every fears associated to death is un-founding because the grave is not final. Christ has gone to prepare a place in the city of God and we must daily prepare to live there with Him and the Saints of God. Life is not hopeless and we are not an accident in life. Little wonder Apostle Paul could say, if Jesus life ended in the cold dark tomb, then Christianity is truly dead, the gospel has no real power and is fake. There is no hope of eternal life and we are of all men most miserable, (1 Corinthians 15:14-19).

However, Apostle Peter put it rightly, “By God’s great mercies, we have been given a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from dead (1 Peter 1:3). Michael Green once noted, “……..Calvary displays in time God’s attitude to sinners from all eternity. There is nothing more fundamental in the whole universe than the self-sacrificing love of God. This is the ground for Christian hope.” That is the most powerful message to humanity in the face of uncertainty, fears and challenges of survival. This is also the awesome message of Easter. He’s alive for ever.