Easter

Today is Easter Saturday. I woke up today really thinking about the meaning of Easter, and ways that we use Easter to celebrate family and holidays. But from my experience of a Western Easter weekend it’s not much about Jesus dieing on the cross for us, but more about ham dinners, chocolate and family around the dinner table. Yea that’s all great stuff, but is that how we celebrate Jesus? Is that how He wants us to celebrate?
Last night at Noah’s Ark we made a big wooden cross and got all the kids to walk around the compound carrying it, reading bible verses about Jesus preparing for death and dieing on the cross. Peit got one of the boys to lie on the cross and he pretended to put nails in the boys hands, and everyone was laughing thinking this is just a joke, all for fun. But then Peit was like, Hey! This isn’t funny, sure it’s just pretend but imagine this nail actually being hammered into your hand! Imagine the pain Jesus had to go through being hung on that cross, he couldn’t breathe, he suffocated hanging there, this isn’t funny this is tragic! Maybe one of the Worst ways to die! And he did that for us! We killed him, so he could die for our sins. Luke 23: 34 says: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”…. I feel like we still don’t know what we’re doing.
It’s great to have a family dinner and celebrate Easter, but what are you talking about around that dinner table? Is it just another holiday to you? Or is it the weekend where your sins were forgotten and you had a chance for internal life? I really encourage you to share the Easter story with people who may not know it, or have forgotten it. Think about the sacrifice Jesus did for you, how is this holiday going to be different for you than the others?
I think Jesus wants us to share His word this weekend, with our friends and family and even strangers. Yes! Eat a ham or turkey, and Yes! Eat TONS of chocolate (for me ;) ) but remember your words shared, remember who you share them with, because your words could change someone’s life.