Is Easter Just A Routine?

by Pastor Larry Bennett

I've heard it said that familiarity breeds contempt. That is often true. I also think that familiarity leads to a loss of passion. That is, as something becomes so familiar to us over a period of time that it loses its effect on us. That is never more true than with Easter. It is a holiday that we obviously celebrate every spring. We gather in church to sing the great songs of the Easter season, to study the Gospel passages that tell the account of that first Easter morning. We smile, we rejoice and then we leave and Easter is over for another year. In the process, Easter just becomes part of the routine. However, God never intended for Easter to be just a familiar part of every spring, nor was it to be just part of the routine of our spiritual lives. Instead, Easter is to be the high point of our year, the cornerstone of our spiritual lives. Why?

Well, because of the evidence of the resurrection. The stone which guarded the tomb of Jesus was rolled aside. That stone would have been huge, too heavy for Jesus' disciples to roll aside by themselves. No, something amazing had taken place. Next, consider the fact that the tomb was empty. Jesus' body was gone. There was no denying that. Possibly someone had stolen it. But, the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb never would have allowed that to happen. Instead, John in his Gospel (chapter 20) tells us that as he and Peter went into the tomb they saw the burial cloths of Jesus lying in order on the ground. The burial cloths were the cloths wrapped around Jesus' dead body as he was placed in the tomb. If someone had stolen the body of Jesus they certainly would not have taken the time to unwrap the cloths off of His body. Not with the Roman soldiers around. Also, in verses 6 - 7, John, an eyewitness of the empty tomb, tells us that not only were the grave cloths in the tomb, they also were in perfect order. That is, just in the place where Jesus' body had been. You see, if we had been there on that Easter morning as Jesus arose from the dead, we would not have seen Jesus sit up, struggle to untie himself from the grave cloths. No, we would have seen Jesus' body just rise through the grave cloths and the grave cloths would have fallen to the ground just as John and Peter saw them.

Then, there is evidence of the people who saw Jesus on that first resurrection day. The disciples saw Jesus alive on a number of occasions and not only did they see Him, they also clearly recognized Him as being the resurrected Jesus. 

Finally, there is the evidence of the changed lives of the disciples after that first Easter day. Not one of them was ever the same again. How could they be? They had met the resurrected Savior and He changed their lives. Something wonderful had happened. Jesus Christ was alive and that reality would not just mean a holiday to celebrate every year or just part of the routine of their spiritual lives. No, everything would be different because of the resurrection of Jesus.

I wonder, has Easter become just a holiday to you or just part of the routine of your spiritual life? If so, this Easter, why not go back to the Gospel accounts of that first Easter morning and remind yourself of the evidence, the empty tomb, the resurrected Jesus, and like the disciples, let it change your life not just for April 15, but for every day.

Enjoying Easter anew,

  Do You Have a Burden for Local and Stateside Ministries?

The Missions Board is in the process of developing a sub-committee to work with our local and stateside ministries. You may ask, "What are stateside ministries?" These are the people we support who are involved in full time ministry here in the United States. 

The ones we currently support are:

Dave and Nancy Dickens, 
Campus Crusade, Ball State University, Indiana

Michael and Teresa Brown, 
Campus Crusade, Bowling Green State University, Ohio

Bill and Michelle Diggins, 
Gospel Missionary Union, Alaska

Steve Ellis, 

Quest Ministries, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bethesda Commission, 
The Chapel in North Canton

Pregnancy Support Center, 
Canton, Ohio

These are all important ministries and need our attention, just as our overseas missions do. We would like to have a group of people to serve on the sub-committee who have a special interest in or burden for these areas. If you fit into this category, please contact Dan Clancy or Happy Peterson at (330-494-3419) or myself (330-492-6936).

Nancy Caes 
Mission Board Chairman