The promise of things to come

We were talking yesterday about all the seasons of the year. Each one is special in its own way. Summer has its long days, eating fresh vegetables right out of the garden, enjoying the fruit right off the trees, and the kids are out of school (that was Benjamin’s #1). Fall has the cool chill in the air, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course college football. Winter brings with it snow on the ground – at least the hope of accumulation, early evenings, and drinking hot chocolate by the fire on a cold winter night. And spring, spring has the promise of things to come. There are flowering plants like the azaleas and other plants around the yard. The plants in the garden are beginning to peek through the ground leaves are budding out on the trees.

But spring also brings with it other promises of things to come. Today is Easter Sunday; the day when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. For a believer, it’s the most joyous day in the history; it’s a day when our fallen savior rose again after being put to death for our sins. Without the resurrection, our faith is worthless and we are to be pitied.

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
~1 Corinthians 15:17

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
~ 1 Corinthians 15:19

For the believer, our faith hinges on the resurrection. That’s why Easter is more important than Christmas. Christmas remembers Christ’s birth, but we’ve all been born. Easter commemorates Christ’s resurrection.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.
~1 Corinthians 15:20 – 22

It’s a day of wonder and amazement!

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
~ Luke 24: 1- 9

We hope and pray that you have a great Easter and that it means more to you than the commercialism and the Easter bunny. Not that there is anything wrong with that aspect of it; it’s just incomplete.

Here are some pictures from our Easter egg hunt at the church and at Grams and Bepop’s house yesterday.