No Christmas Without Easter

My heart is breaking a little. Why is it that we've reduced one of the most important holidays of the Christian faith to fluff and candy? 

Easter is the time when we have an opportunity to place a spotlight onto Everything that we stand for, and yet we've adhered to culture and made it about chocolate eggs, bunnies and just about anything that does not involve the gospel. Maybe its because shades of pinks, blues, yellows or pastels are way easier on the eyes than the color of the Blood of the Lamb. Maybe it's because its more fun to talk over extravagant lunch spreads rather than breaking bread and acknowledging sin. Maybe its because eggs in baskets are cuter to look at over a Cross.

This isn't the first time we've done this. At Christmas time, we make it about the gifts, the reindeer, and the mistletoe, a far cry from the image of a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manager. But what is also so surprising to me is that there is a stark contrast with the amount of decorations in our home during Christmas, as compared to springtime. Not that the amount of decorations dictate the position of your heart. But what i'm getting at here is the importance we place in these two different holidays vs. the importance that God gives them, according to His Word.

Think about it: we'd rather spice up our homes and fill our schedules with festivities during Christmas time. Party after party. Potluck after potluck. Presents upon presents. And while, yes, Christmas is [arguably] considered as another Christian holiday (much to research on about the origins of this), it is not one that is directly commanded by the Lord that we commemorate. In Scripture, we are told to remember the way His body was pierced and His blood was poured out as an atonement for our transgressions (1 Corinthians 11:26).  And yet, there are no decorations, no excitement. No one lights a candle. We take advantage of the long holiday by going out on trips, rather than sitting in our homes, or joining fellow believers and recalling that after Jesus died on the cross, He rose again. I would know. I'm guilty of the same thing.

HIS RESURRECTION, OUR REDEMPTION

Should not this be the cause of a grander celebration? Over a holiday that recalls His descent into earth, let's pause to think about His ascension into heaven, and how we are now able to have access to that someday when the time comes. Let's remind one another. Let's teach it to our children. Jesus is alive! And by His resurrection, we have redemption -- this is so central to the Christian faith, more than anything else. Gifts and things will pass away, but being reconciled to the Father and eternal life is a gain beyond measure! 

There can be no Christmas without Easter. (I think I've said this more than once already) Let us reorient our priorities and recognize this season for what it is. As a special time in the Christian calendar because we remember that Christ has risen. It's high time we started treating Resurrection Sunday the way it was meant to be celebrated, and we can start today.