The other day I was thinking about how our world celebrates Easter. We have an Easter bunny hiding eggs. We fill baskets with fake grass and chocolates. It seems like a very strange combination to me. I wonder how the bunny and eggs got together in the first place. After all, bunnies do not lay eggs and chickens do not have floppy ears. And, chocolate bunnies and eggs? 
Then we have Easter egg hunts. Someone hides the eggs and then the search is on. Children run to see who can find the first eggs and the most eggs. Then they crack them open to see the treasure inside. That treasure might be candy, a trinket or even money. We even have helicopters dropping eggs for kids to run and find. I wonder…what do any of these things have to do with the true meaning of Easter?
I’ve come up with a few connections. There are no bunnies, eggs or helicopters in the real Easter story. But, there certainly was a search launched and a treasure found. Jesus had been crucified and buried in a tomb. Some of the women who followed Him went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. They were searching (hunting if you will) for His body. And treasure, He was a treasure to them. However, they thought that treasure was gone.
Here is the account as written in Mark 16:1-8 “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” h
e said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”
Here is John’s account as written in John 20:1-18 “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So, she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
So, Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.”
God assures us that if we seek Him, we will find Him.
Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
And don’t forget…Jesus first sought us.
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
What love! So, on this Good Friday and the upcoming Easter (Resurrection) Sunday, let’s remember the Easter hunt with an everlasting gift/treasure – a relationship with our risen Savior – Jesus Christ!
He promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him. Remember, He sought us first – to save us from sin. What a glorious gift!
Hallelujah! He is Risen, He is Risen indeed!
04/19/19
They hug, giggle, hold hands, share treats and simply enjoy being together. Last Sunday was one of those days when I witnessed their joyful greeting. It is contagious! You just can’t help smiling or laughing at their exuberance as they get together and just enjoy being alive and having a friend. Do you have a friend like that? You just simply love spending time together, no matter what you are doing or even if you are not doing anything at all? I do. We may not skip around, giggle and hold hands but we still share a joyful greeting. It’s a special thing – friendship.
Luke 1:39-45 “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” What a joyful greeting they shared!
It is by far my favorite holiday. I love the Christmas lights, decorations, cards and candles. I love spending time with family and friends. But, most of all, I love celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a gift was given to all of us! All we need to do is receive it (Him). That’s the thing – we must unwrap and receive the gift. Salvation is open to all who will receive. It’s not a one-time gift either – we walk out our salvation every day as we obey God and follow Him. With God, it’s not impossible. Only two things are critical to our salvation – Love God with all our heart, 
soul, mind and strength, and love others. What a gift! The best gift ever! And, it’s given freely to all! What we must remember though this gift for us was at the cost of a life, a precious life – the only life that could redeem us from sin. Jesus Christ had to be born a baby and die on a cross as a sacrifice for us. That’s how much God loves us! (John 3:16). After Christmas had to come Easter. Both holidays are celebrated because of the love God has for us! 
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
Jesus told us that He (the Son) gives “living water” to all who are thirsty and come to Him. The well never runs dry. Just like the spring rains bring refreshing to the soil. Jesus always refreshes our soul. Michael W. Smith says it well in his song
They love to jump in puddles (and it’s not just boys). I saw a little girl this week in a parking lot, going straight for a puddle to step in it. There’s something in water that draws us. As kids, we didn’t mind the rain, did we? Maybe that’s another reason Jesus told us to come “as a child”. Like a child welcomes the rain and appreciates the sun, I want to welcome the rain in my life so that I never forget to appreciate The Son.
I was in our neighborhood grocery store yesterday and before I even got into the store, the “in between area of carts” was FULL (I mean full) of flowers! It was beautiful! There was hardly room to get in the door. Our retailers help remind us all to give up some cash and show someone we love them. It’s not all about cash though. There are many things we can do and say to show our love. We can get creative and think like a child. They usually know what it’s all about.
Today it seems like we see a lot of hate in our world rather than love. Don’t you wonder what would happen if we turned that hate around by loving others? Let’s give it a try. It’s possible even to love our enemies when we have God in our hearts. We can make the world a better place – one person at a time. Like the song says, “Love is all we need.” Let’s share it.
Whatever our given name is, it is part of our identity isn’t it? People associate us with our name. Sometimes that can be bad or good, depending upon how we live our lives. Aside from our given name, we also get other names in our lives, don’t we? Whether it is daughter, son, sister, brother, mom, dad, friend, co-worker or teammate, they all reflect a relationship. Such is the case with two names given to men by God. Those two names are John the Baptist and JESUS. Let’s take a look…
Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 
There is power in the name of Jesus! Even when we are in a situation where we can’t even articulate a prayer, we can call upon His Name. Just say the name of Jesus. There is power in His Name. 
Gather Around for God 