Easter: A Hope Transfusion!
We all know that Easter is about more than chocolate bunnies, dyed eggs, and Peeps. We know Easter is incredibly important because of what we celebrate – the fact that Jesus Christ conquered death. This is central to Christianity. As John S. Whale puts it, “Belief in the resurrection is not an appendage to the Christian faith. It is the Christian faith.” Having a resurrected savior makes all the difference in the world.
I love the old story of a man who became a Christian in a place where there are very few believers. Many of his friends asked him, “Why have you become a Christian?” He answered, “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive—which one would you ask which way to go?” Easter is not just a fun holiday, it is the reason for the hope that we hold dear. As Dr. Adrian Rogers states, “The resurrection is not merely important to the historic Christian faith; without it, there would be no Christianity.” Without Easter, our faith is dead.
Because Jesus lives, we can experience hope. Perhaps you, or someone close to you, is dealing with grief and loss. Death has been described as coming like a ruthless thief, snatching away a treasured presence, and leaving only hollow memories in its wake. The sadness of those who mourn casts a spell of loneliness too powerful for spoken words or shallow songs to break. What is missing? To paraphrase poet Oscar Wilde, “Something is dead in each of them, and what is dead is hope.” There is nothing like Easter to bring hope back to life.
I would guess you know someone who has yet to experience faith on a personal level. They may be close to you, but far from Jesus. Perhaps you, or someone you know, needs hope. Easter might be just the excuse you need to share your reason for hope with them. Charles Swindoll calls Easter the most delightful and important of all the events in human history, and it can give us what he calls a Hope Transfusion! Now that is a fantastic way to think of this special Easter week.
We will take time together this Friday evening to remember the death and burial of Jesus. We will receive the Lord’s table together, proclaiming His necessary death on behalf of our sins. We also know that Sunday’s coming! And we get the joy of celebrating together that He is risen indeed!
As we anticipate this special Sunday, will you join me in prayerfully considering who is close to you, but far from Jesus, that you might invite to sit with you at Hope for Easter? As part of our service, we look forward to having a number of people in our church family share a “cardboard testimony” about how Jesus has changed their lives. Our hope is that someone you invite sees someone’s Hope story, and it helps them to consider what Jesus could do to give them a Hope Transfusion.
I am so excited to see what God is going to do this Sunday, and I hope you and your neighbors are able to join us!
Expectantly,
Shawn
