Resurrection Sunday

I know why you’re here... You have a question. What exactly is the deal with Resurrection Sunday? Perhaps I’m being a bit presumptuous to assume that you’re even asking the question. Maybe you’ve never even thought to ask it before this very moment.

    First, Resurrection Sunday is the actual name of the day that most of the world refers to as Easter. The term Easter is fine to use, although it can be misleading. Easter and the associated celebration is most closely connected with the pagan goddess Eostre.

    As has  so often been the case, Christianity, as it spread throughout the world, adapted existing local celebrations to tell the story of Christ. Far from adopting pagan practices, though, the early Christians looked at what they were doing as redeeming the pagan culture—to take a curse and turn it into a blessing! This is central to the very message of Christ.  Especially the message of Resurrection. What is more of a reversal of a curse than overcoming the curse of death through resurrection?!

    Next, Resurrection, while it is essentially the theme of every Sunday services, bears having a special day and season because it is absolutely essential to our faith. St. Paul himself says, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

    Paul understood fully that our faith rests in large part on the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus. We acknowledge this reality as well when we celebrate this most important day in our Christian Calendar. We acknowledge that our resurrection has been assured through the resurrection of Christ. He is the first-fruit; we will one day be the harvest. Praise be to God!

    Resurrection Sunday grows in significance as we place it in the context of the Christian calendar, as it follows the season of Lent and is the culmination of Holy Week! As we come to Resurrection Sunday, having spent 40 days practicing self-denial, we are able to worship and celebrate even more freely.

    Yes, resurrection is so important to us that we don’t merely get one day to celebrate, but an entire 50 day season! This reminds us that the feast is bigger than the fast! That, though there is pain in the night, praise God, JOY comes in the morning! As we feast this Resurrection season and add the Hallelujahs back into our liturgy, let’s remember the goodness of resurrection that is becoming real in our lives even now as we wait for it to come in fullness one day!

Derek+