When Easter rolls around, we break out the spring clothes, hunt some eggs, eat some ham and maybe a chocolate bunny (or two). We celebrate at church with joyful cries of “He is risen!” and hopefully enjoy some time with family or friends. The joyful tone lasts into Monday, or maybe a day or two beyond that, but pretty much by Wednesday it’s back to regular life as we know it. Bills have to be paid, homework has to be done, trash has to be taken out, and all the regular activities of life have to continue. Eventually, we end up carrying on as though Easter never happened, until next January when the stores start getting out the Peeps again.
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| Photo Credit: Flickr User USACE Europe District, Creative Commons |
If we truly believe that Easter changes everything though, Easter should affect every single day of our lives. It should affect how we pay our bills, how we do our homework, how we take out our trash, how we treat our coworkers, how we love our family and friends and strangers we meet on the street. Jesus came to earth, fully human and fully God, and he became the be-all-end-all sacrifice for our sins when he died on the cross.
And then he came back to life.
He died, but he didn’t stay that way.
In Luke 24, Jesus walked along the road with two of his followers. They were kept from recognizing him as they told Jesus about the recent events surrounding Jesus’ death, but later, as they shared a meal together, their eyes were opened and they realized who Jesus was. The very man they had been walking with was the same guy they thought was dead and stuck in a tomb! Everything they thought they knew about the natural laws of death was overturned, and everything they thought to maybe be true about Jesus’ identity was proven correct. A guy who was dead had come back to life and was confirming for them that he was the Savior of the world. The fulfillment of all the prophecies they had grown up hearing was sitting at the table having dinner with them. There’s no way their lives could have been the same from that day on--Jesus truly changed everything for them. If we let it, Easter can change everything for us, too.
Jesus became the ultimate victor over all our sin and shame, everything we’ve already done and everything we will do. Because of Jesus and what he accomplished by becoming human and dying for us, we never need to face any part of life alone or without hope. He is ever-present with us, always good, always loving, always working things in ways we may not see or understand.
Which isn’t to say that “Easter changes everything” means life won’t still be hard. Jesus’ death and resurrection don’t protect us from the trials and tragedies of being human. People still get sick, relationships still get fractured, temptations still bombard us from every side. The power of Easter isn’t a shield to block us from difficulties; the power of Easter is a new perspective on those difficulties. Easter gives us hope that life on this earth is not the end, for us and for everyone who is in Christ. Jesus’ own disciples were living examples of this. As they set out to spread the word of Jesus around the world, they encountered opposition, persecution, and death. Jesus completely changed their lives, but it didn’t mean they became easier.
The disciples knew what counted though. Instead of striving to get ahead in their jobs, or chasing after relationships, or trying to build a bigger house, they knew it was worth it to follow Jesus, even if it meant they never achieved things they maybe really wanted. Life with Jesus can, and should, look radically different than life without him. As we empty our fridges of Easter ham and the chocolate bunnies begin to go stale, let's not forget the changes that Easter should bring to our Wednesdays, our Thursdays, and every other day.
[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]
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