The plain and simple Easter story

From the time I was a small child, I knew that Easter was a special day. Our family was not wealthy and there were six children in my family, but each year we would get new church clothes for Easter. I know it cost my father a huge portion of his paycheck to get dresses and shoes for six girls.

The Easter service at church was always special, too. There would be lilies filling the altar and trumpets and kettle drums would join with the pipe organ in the most beautiful music. The choir always sang the Hallejuah chorus and by the time we left church, we knew that we had celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I grew up knowing that we recognized Good Friday as the day that Jesus was crucified and that Easter Sunday was the day we celebrated his resurrection from the dead. It was part of my life and it continues to be a part of my life.

The other day I thought about all the people in this country who don't have that heritage. Those folks who have never set foot inside a church on Easter or any other Sunday. What do they think Easter is all about? What does it mean to them? If they get off work for Good Friday do they understand why?

Some things that we, as Christians, just take for granted may be complete mysteries to those who don't know Jesus.

I'm going to try to explain the mystery. But before I can explain Easter, I have to remind you of Christmas. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. He was no ordinary baby. Jesus had an earthly mother, her name was Mary, but his father was God. God sent his Holy Spirit to impregnate Mary and he entrusted her and her husband, Joseph, with the responsibility of raising his son.

Since Jesus was the son of God, he was a very special man, with supernatural powers. The Bible tells some of the miracles that Jesus performed while he lived on earth. God sent him to earth as an example for us. He was like the epitome of what God created each one of us to be.

God had a specific purpose for sending Jesus to live on the earth. A blood sacrifice was needed to make amends for the sins of the world and the only blood that would satisfy a Holy God was sinless blood. Jesus was the only person on earth who had that type of blood and he knew that his mission was to sacrifice his blood for all of mankind.

When he was crucified on the cross on Good Friday, his blood took care of the sin issue in the world once and for all. That is why Christians call it Good Friday. He paid the price for our sins, that should have been us on the cross but because we are all sinful we couldn't pay the price ourselves.

But that isn't the end of the story. Jesus was placed in a borrowed tomb after his death on the cross. The Jewish rulers were concerned that his followers would remove his body so they placed a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and had Roman soldiers stand guard.

On the third day, early in the morning, women who had been followers of Jesus and his disciples went to his tomb to anoint his body with spices. When they arrived at the tomb, the large stone had been rolled away and his body was gone. They met a man nearby and asked him if he knew where the body had been taken. It turned out that the man was the resurrected Jesus, he knew them by name.

God had raised his son from the dead. Jesus was now a resurrected savior. Forty days later, Jesus ascended into heaven to be with his father.

There is even more to the story. Ten days after he ascended into heaven he sent his Holy Spirit to live inside his believers. That is his connection with us today. It is a mystery and it is supernatural, but all of us who believe that Jesus died for our sins, that he is truly the son of God and that he arose from the dead have his spirit living in us.

The Bible tells us that all who believe, will one day be like Jesus. We too will have resurrected bodies and eternal life and that, my friend, is what makes Easter such a special day.

Need some encouragement?

One doesn't have to look too far to find stories of discouragement, hatred and selfishness. Just read a newspaper or watch the evening news and you're sure to be discouraged. 

But where can we look for words of encouragement? We need to hear stories of love and unselfish attitudes - we need to know that there is hope in this seemingly hopeless world. We want to believe that not all people are murderers, rapists and child abusers, but we seldom hear about the good things that people do.

Recently within our city, the mayor held a meeting with church leaders. He wanted to enlist the aid of Christian people to meet the needs in their neighborhoods. There are many homes in need of repair because the residents are too old to climb ladders and fix their gutters, they don't have the finances to pay for their homes to be repainted and many of them physically can't do the yard work necessary for their homes to look nice anymore. These are simple tasks for those who are physically able, but impossible for those who are disabled or elderly. 

You won't find many headlines about people taking a casserole dish to a neighbor and rarely do you read about someone stopping to help a stranded motorist. Yet these are everyday occurrences. When a flood or tornado causes widespread damage we watch a news crew reporting on the devastation, but they seldom go back to report on the people who arrive for the cleanup. It's dirty work cleaning up after a flood, it's back breaking work to rebuild a home after it has been hit by a tornado, but those who respond to those in need don't help because they want notoriety. They do so because they are encouragers.

We often hear that it's the little things that we do that make the biggest difference. Jesus told His disciples the parable of the Good Samaritan for a reason. He expects His disciples to administer mercy to those in need. (read the parable in Luke 10:30-37)

God has been in the encouragement business forever. Psalm 10:17-18 reads: "You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

Are you afflicted? Are you fatherless? Are you oppressed? Have you be crying out to God for help? Then listen, really listen for His response. He may be asking you to be the encouragement for someone less fortunate than yourself. We never have to look too far to find someone who has more problems than we do. Maybe when we respond to a basic need of one of our neighbors, we can change their life forever.

Years ago my husband and I went to church with a young couple who had six children. They struggled financially and although we didn't have much ourselves, we were able to help with small things like a meal now and then, giving them used clothing and buying little gifts at Christmas. We loved them and wanted them to know that we cared for them. 

Fast forward about 10 years and my husband and I were in a financial bind of our own. That young couple provided us with the money for a house payment at Christmas as a way of encouraging us. 

We just never know when we may be the recipient of God's grace and mercy. In Hebrews 10:23-25 the author tells us, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Yes, the world is in sad shape, entire countries are going bankrupt; major companies are closing their doors; people are out of work, homeless, hungry and destitute. We can't change the direction the world is heading, but we can make a difference in our own family, in our own neighborhood and in our own congregation. Who do you know who needs some encouragement? Offer whatever you can because it is the little things that matter to God and He sees whatever you do for others as doing it for Him.