You may not be fully aware of this, but there is a great danger in Easter. Don’t misunderstand me. I think that it is a tremendous thing to have a time of year when we focus all of our attention together on the greatest event in all of human history, the turning point in the destiny of mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ giving Himself for us, laying down His life and suffering for us, being crucified and then raised again from death and the grave as risen Lord and conquering King, triumphant over sin, death and hell!!!
So what could the dangers of Easter possibly be, you might be wondering? Well, the danger is that, in setting a time of year to focus on these greatest of truths, we can fall into the trap of not giving them the priority they deserve the rest of the year. In fact, this is not only the danger of Easter, but it is the danger of Christmas too! And, come to think of it, it is also the danger we face at the beginning of every single week because Mondays are just as holy as Sundays, or at least they should be. Should our passion for Christ be any less on Friday than it is on Sunday? Or next Friday compared to Good Friday?
From the teachings of the New Testament, and particularly those of the Apostle Paul (See Romans 14:1-12 ; Galatians 4:8-11 & Colossians 2:16-23), we can understand the glorious truth that every day is resurrection day because every single thing we enjoy as blessings in our lives as Christians are a reality because, and only because, of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The saving work of Christ upon the cross and His victorious resurrection, also on our behalf, is just as relevant and significant today as it was last weekend, and will be next Thursday too.
The observance of what we call Easter can be a very good thing, but there is this danger. So, what should we do to avoid this danger? Is there some way that we can ensure that we don’t fall into this trap? Here is a way - make everyday of every week of every month of every year of your life a celebration of thanksgiving and worship of the crucified and risen Lord. When you draw that first conscious breath each morning, remember that He has given you life. Everyday, when you put your feet on the floor, take the time to remember that you live because He lives; that He died to give you life and that your life is a gift from the God who loves you that much, and then walk into each day with a heart beating for Jesus. That is what it means to live as a Christian. How glorious is that!!!
