Three Days, many facets.

Easter. That wonderful part of April where all sorts of good things happen. Like many holidays, how Easter is significant depends on who you ask:

Many who aren't devout will refer to it as 'Zombie Jesus Day'. Others use it as a good reason to visit loved ones. There are some who point to the fertility rites that accompanied the worship of the 'goddess' Istar as the origins. To children - and kids at heart - it's a great time to gorge on sweets. I'll admit that I fall into the latter category year-round. ;)

And to Christ-followers, it has a very special significance indeed. Good Friday gained its moniker because it was when Jesus died. So what's good about that? Scourging? Betrayal? Being mocked? Top that all off with crucifixion? That certainly doesn't sound like the start to a good weekend to me!

It's good because Jesus was sacrificed for our benefit. All of the evil of the world was piled on Him. Then He died.

But that's not the end of the story. If it were, it'd be pretty disappointing! 

When I was younger I was always struck by a small portion of the Apostle's Creed:

 He descended into Hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into Heaven.

I imagine that scene as something pretty intense. What type of CGI budget would be required to show Jesus battling death? Beating it down until the grave submitted? And then to see Jesus come back to Earth, victory in hand?

That's the trouble with dead people. They always come back to life when you least expect it.
 Undead, by Clay Morgan

So here we have a man who willingly took all of our bad stuff. Died bearing that burden. Then walked out of His tomb. Now let's replace 'our' with everyone's. 

'For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
        Romans 3: 22b-25
How cool is that? No matter where we come from, we're all fallen. But the empty tomb means that we're redeemed!

So why do you like Easter?







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