I fear that sometimes we as evangelicals do Easter wrong. Now don’t get me wrong, our Easter service here was fine, it truly was…but I think in general we evangelicals get this holiday a little mixed up. We get Easter mixed up with Good Friday, primarily because we do not celebrate Good Friday. This I believe is at the heart of our problem with Easter.
To run the full gamut of emotions from the triumphal entry, to the betrayal, then the trial, to the crucifixion, then the burial, to the darkness of that lonely Saturday and then to the glory of the rising sun on the empty tomb, is too much for one service! It’s impossible to squeeze all this into one hour on one Sunday morning. That is why for centuries the church has observed a Holy Week, retracing the steps of Christ both to adore and remember the Passion of Christ – throughout the week.
What happens in many churches is that they start off their one service with the crucifixion and then run out of steam by the time the joyous resurrection arrives. They give twenty minutes to the gruesomeness and five minutes to the glory. This should not be! The resurrection is not just a happy ending, it is a necessity for the salvation story. It is the final defeating of death and the triumph of a vindicated Christ. It is our glory and the hope for all eternity! Next year (and every Sunday) let us remember the resurrection and give the glory of Easter its place in our churches.
