Easter lest we forget what it is truly about.
I even wonder why we call it Easter? So I googled it and couldn’t find any definition that suited me. One source says the name was inspired from an Anglo Saxon holiday celebrating a goddess named Eostre , who represents spring and fertility. Well that totally messed with my mind. Now I have to get that out of my thoughts.
We have 23 days until the day we celebrate our Risen Lord. We have 16 days to reflect and remember the week before His crucifixion. I want to REMEMBER. What is it all about? Why is it so important that we remember Passion Week, Jesus’ arrest, His crucifixion, His death, and His resurrection? Because if we don’t remember, reflect on these things our faith is meaningless and goes nowhere.
”And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.“
Exodus 2:24-25 ESV
REMEMBER – bring to one’s mind an awareness of someone or something that one has seen or known, or experienced in the past.
”Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.“
Exodus 13:3-10 ESV
The Lord God set up a feast for the children of Israel to remember His deliverance. Every year they celebrated Passover. Every part of the celebration reminded His children of all He had done to get them out of Egypt out of bondage. Year to year, thousands of years have passed since that first Passover in Exodus, and still they celebrated. Jesus celebrated the Passover. Over 2000 years ago Jesus would have been preparing to go to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with His friends. In fact Jesus, the last Passover sacrificial lamb entered Jerusalem at the same time the Temple Priests were choosing the unblemished lambs. After the lambs were selected the priests washed and anointed the lamb’s feet.
”Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.“
John 12:1-3 ESV
I wonder did Jesus still smell the aroma of Mary’s anointing oil as He hung on the cross.
REMEMBER
The Passover feast was a big celebration. It is still celebrated in the Jewish faith. It is a time of remembrance. At the time of Jesus, Jerusalem was filled. Stories were told, games were played, and blessings were recited.
We must remember and we must pass down these stories.
”And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.“
Judges 2:10 ESV
What a horrifying scenario. All because one generation didn’t tell the next generation of the goodness of God.
The Church of Jesus Christ was birthed on Pentecost. Our faith has survived all these thousands of years because God inspired the writers of the Bible to write these things down. The Church the Bride of Christ our Christian faith will endure until the last trumpet sounds and Jesus returns as King of Kings. We will go on because Gods Mighty Hand holds us. All He asks of us is REMEMBER.
”And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”“
Luke 22:19 ESV
”In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”“
1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV
Call it what you will Easter, Resurrection Day just…
REMEMBER
Celebrate! It’s a big deal. Jesus is not dead. He has risen.