This morning at church was special. We were dressed in spring clothes and beaming from ear to ear. We greeted strangers, and sang together. We heard the gospel. We learned, and renewed our hearts at the teaching of the word. So what was different about today?
There were a few more attendees than normal. Actually, a noticeable amount of new faces. The responses were louder, the music, more full. And the chapel? Crowded. But why? What about this day made more people show up at church?
Why is my newsfeed filled with the message of the gospel, just today? What is it that made today different than other Sundays? What does it really mean, "He is risen"?
We already know the end of the story, we already know that we have been redeemed, that He is risen. We hear the gospel every week in church, so what is there to celebrate? Each year, we celebrate on a different Sunday, but why? What's so special about Easter?
Easter is unique, not because we're surprised at what happened at the tomb. Easter is special BECAUSE we celebrate. We ALL celebrate. The Church celebrates His resurrection together. We're unified by the celebration of the resurrection.
It's not so much that we didn't know that He rose. We wouldn't be saved if Christ didn't defeat death. But we're amazed. We rejoice. We celebrate the joy in the resurrection together. And I think that's what's special about Easter Sunday. The Church is unified, by this one life-altering event. That He has DEFEATED death, FOR us, so that WE might be saved.
Christ is risen from the DEAD, trampling over death by death. Come AWAKE, Come AWAKE, Come and rise up from the GRAVE.
