So What's The Big Deal About Easter? {Part One}

We are so excited about today's blog schedule.  We not only have one, but TWO posts for today (you'll have to be on the lookout for the second one!).  Our first is one that we have been greatly anticipating.  It's our first in a series of posts entitled "So What's the Big Deal About Easter?"   Over the next four weeks, we'll be featuring this series written by our very own Keith and Amy Whitfield.  We hope this series will touch your heart as much it's touching ours!  

It’s that time of year again. Spring is in the air, everything is turning green, birds are singing. As the calendar moves toward March and April, our thoughts naturally turn to Easter. It’s somewhat different from the experience of Christmas, with its smells and sounds and endless festivities, but we feel the anticipation nonetheless. And we are not alone.

Last spring, LifeWay Research released a study that indicated something that should come as no surprise to most of us. In a national poll, 1,000 Protestant pastors were asked what the three highest attendance Sundays where throughout the year. Easter Sunday was reported by 93% of those surveyed. So, Easter is indeed “a big deal” in our culture.

Why does it matter? We can rush so quickly through this time, going through the motions. We can pick out our Easter outfits for ourselves and our families, plan our Easter menus, and set out the schedule for our day. We can preoccupy ourselves with thoughts of a break from school or from work. In all of this, we can skip right over the meaning and the meditation of the time.

So let’s ask the question: what is the big deal about Easter? We want to explore four themes to think about as we consider this time of focus: the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and the exaltation of Christ.

Let's Hear from Keith

You may think it odd to talk about the life of Christ as we approach Easter. After all, this is when we are thinking about the passion story, not the incarnation. The incarnation is for Christmas. We’re supposed to be thinking about the end, not the beginning . . . right?

But the only place to begin is with His life, because the coming of Jesus means that the Kingdom has arrived.

Easter is a celebration of the life that Jesus lived. What are we celebrating?

Fulfillment

We celebrate the life that Jesus lived because He came to fulfill the promise that God made to His people. He is the Son who defeats the enemies of the God’s people (Ps. 2), who brings justice to the nations (Is. 42:1), and who comes with power to reverse the effects of the fall (Is. 61:1-4). The Kingdom has arrived in the reign of the Messiah, and it is true and relevant to all areas of life. With the arrival of the Messiah comes freedom from captivity, and all things are being made right again. Our redemption and restoration is purchased through a just, once-for-all sacrifice. He became that sacrifice through fulfilling his mission.

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9)   

Perfection

We celebrate the life that Jesus lived because He was sinless. This is something we will address further when we talk about the death and atonement of Christ, and what it means for Him to be that perfect sacrifice. But it makes a difference when talking about His life, because we know that He came to earth and became just like us. He faced every temptation that we face, and stood without faltering in the face of it all. He proved in every way that He was the Messiah, and that we could trust His Lordship without fail.

Our life may be related to his sinless life in so many ways, but I will draw out just one here. Moments before Jesus was arrested. He appealed to the Father on our behalf on the basis of his sinless life. In John 17, he prayed for us. He prayed that we would know the Father and we will be protected from the evil one as we sojourn in this world. He made this appeal on the basis of his obedience.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father,the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”  (John 17:1-5)

Let's Hear from Amy

Sometimes, these ideas can seem like nothing more than that-- bookish, bigger-than-life thoughts that theologians and pastors sit around and talk about. Sure, the fulfillment of the kingdom has been met in Christ. And yes, He lived a sinless life. I have heard these things for years and wholeheartedly affirm them. So how does that make a difference? How does it change my life from day to day?

It changes my life because I live in a world where God’s promises are fulfilled. I know that God has promised never to leave me or forsake me, and I know that He has promised to change me. But some days, it seems so hard to believe. Everything is going wrong, regardless of the hat I am wearing (wife, mom, employee, etc.). And even though I know the promises are there, it seems so hard to get my mind around anything substantial.

But then there is Him. This living, breathing man who is God-- He really came to my world and walked around. He faced every temptation that I face, and He didn’t falter. And what’s more is that I know that “all the promises of God find their Yes in Him” (2 Corinthians 1:20, emphasis mine). All of a sudden, when it seemed like I had nothing to hold on to, there it is.

And when I have that, I can understand why His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I can respond with gratitude, and I can respond in worship. But I can also respond in action because I trust Him. I trust Him enough that I can give up my fear of what others think, I can give up my fear of losing control in my day-to-day life. And that means I can be free to love others around me without having to protect myself.

Yes, the days leading up to Easter can be a time when we are preoccupied with plans for what we are going to do with our holiday. They can mark a time when we turn to more somber reflection-- examination of ourselves, and focus on a day when the whole world went dark. They can mark a time when we can’t wait for the sun to rise so we can think about that victorious moment. And there is a place for all of that. We’ll keep talking about some of those very things in weeks to come.

But there is also a place for reflecting on the 33 years that passed before that weekend. There was once a people in deep despair, clinging to a promise that had been passed down from generation to generation. And then everything changed because He lived. It changed everything for the world. And it changes everything for me.

 

Keith & Amy Whitfield live in Wake Forest, NC, where Keith teaches Systematic Theology at SEBTS.  Keith previously served as pastor of Waverly Baptist Church in Waverly, Virginia, in the years 2005 to 2010, and from 2010 until 2012, they lived in Nashville, TN, where Keith taught at a liberal arts college and helped to train church leaders. Amy loves teaching and writing, and has a passion for women to be transformed by the gospel in their daily lives.  Amy currently serves as Assistant to Charlotte Akin,  and also assists in other areas with research and writing.  Amy and Keith have two children: Mary (age 9) and Drew (age 7).

Don't forget to look for our "other" post in just a little while :)