I don't know if particular calendar days can be jealous of each other.
They can't. And "jealous" isn't exactly the word I am looking for. But if a day were ever to feel slighted by the comparative attention they achieved...I think Easter Sunday might be that day.
For some time now I have been uncomfortable with the comparison between the "Christmas season" that starts months in advance and how quickly and abruptly it is suddenly Easter. (This is a strong case for a thoughtful and reflective observance of a Lenten season.)
For the next several weeks, I want us to think about why Easter Sunday matters so much.
To begin with, it would be good to speak in terms of Resurrection Sunday rather than Easter Sunday. The word Easter never appears in Scripture and has nothing to do with Jesus. Over time, Easter has become the word we use to celebrate the miracle of the third day so it is neither a sin nor a crime to say "Easter". But it is truly Resurrection Sunday.
This "Resurrection on Sunday" is so important that it completely rewired the routines of Jesus' followers. For generations and generations, the Sabbath (Saturday) had been the weekly high holy day. But now the gravitational pull of that Resurrection pulled the day of public worship away from the Sabbath to Sunday. "If we are going to gather...let's do it on the day Jesus rose from the grave!"
That fact is one of the quietest and most powerful evidences of a real resurrection!
This week as we gather in worship, may we feel afresh that gravitational pull to the Resurrection.
Your pastor,
Tim
PS -- And if you want to fully experience the excitement of Resurrection Sunday, be sure to be part of our Good Friday service on April 18 as we pause to feel the weight of Jesus' death and sacrifice.
