Why Does Easter Matter?

For a good portion of my Christian life, I have had an adverse reaction to celebrating specific dates. Picking a random day for the yearly celebrations like Christmas, Easter, and New Years has always felt very... manufactured. The idealist logician in me says, "Well, we don't really know if it happened on that specific day. Besides, shouldn't we be celebrating this stuff all year, not just on one day?" As if both weren't possible! And, you know what? I was partially right. They are manufactured. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't pick a day to celebrate! 

It's amazing how often the foundational truths of our faith fly under the radar. Even if we are aware of them, they are certainly unacknowledged. As life happens, we are inundated with things that demand our attention. The phone is ringing. The inbox is filling up. The baby is crying. The TV is blaring. Amidst all this noise, the Gospel - what Jesus did for us - is taken for granted and left on the shelf. 

So, yes, we should be celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus every day. But how often does that actually happen? As I've matured, the idealist in me has grown into a realist. The realistic me is aware of how quick we are to forget our first love. If we don't choose to mark our lives with continual reminders of the cross, we are sure to let it fall from our mind.  

We may not know the actual calendar date when Jesus rose for the grave (although we're pretty close!), but we don't need to. I am so thankful that we, as the Church, have the entire Easter season as a reminder that Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave to prove He is God. It forces us to acknowledge that essential truth that is so often ignored. As Christians, if we are not focused on Jesus, then what are we focused on? What's the point? As the common saying goes, "Preach the Gospel to yourself daily." What a goal!

Easter is the time when we come together to celebrate the Cross and the empty tomb as the Church. This Sunday, let us rejoice side-by-side in what the Savior has done for us. But may you also rejoice every day in what the Savior has done for you.