Readings:
Exodus 14: 10-end, 15: 20-21;
Acts 4: 32-35;
Psalm 133;
1 John 1:1-2:2;
John 20: 19-end

Collect:
Risen Christ for whom no door is locked,
no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts,
that we may seek the good of others
and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace,
to the praise of God the Father.  Amen.

Reflection

This past Easter Sunday, the Church of the Holy Cross in conjunction with a member of the community, organized the Two-Mile Ash Easter Hunt for children in the community. The aim was for the children to have fun and to get to understand what the Easter celebration is all about. As I left the church day, I began to wonder how many people in our communities participate in all the festivities of Easter while having little understand of Easter. 

Have you ever wondered what bunny rabbits and coloured eggs have to do with the resurrection of Jesus, anyway? The short answer is - nothing. The longer answer is that rabbits and eggs were both symbols of springtime and new life in many ancient near-eastern cultures. In fact, some historians claim that the tradition of hiding colored eggs in a field for children to find dates back to ancient Babylon many centuries before Jesus was born. And no one is quite sure where the name Easter comes from either. There are several theories about it. Some say that it comes from the ancient Germanic calendar because their word for April is actually Easter. Others believe the name Easter is derived from the Eostre or Esther, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, for whom a spring festival was held annually. Still others see a connection to the Babylonian goddess of spring, called Ishtar or the Phoenician goddess Astarte.

But far from attempting to Christianize pagan springtime festivals, early Christians intentionally choose to establish a rival celebration of the resurrection of Jesus which took place on the Sunday morning following the Passover celebration in early spring. Jesus essentially usurped springtime celebrations of all sorts across the globe! Hence early Christians readily adopted the eggs as symbols of new life and birth. 

But, let me ask you - what difference does Easter make? Does it really matter? How does it impact the way you live your life on a daily basis? We must understand that when Jesus got up and walked out of that tomb, he changed everything—for you, for me, for the whole world. I want to share with you three simple ways that the resurrection has impacted my life and the lives of untold myriads of believers from that very moment of resurrection on the Easter morning.

I HAVE PEACE!
When Jesus appeared to his disciples that first Easter Sunday, the first words out of his mouth were, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19). The peace Jesus spoke of was more than just a sense of calmness or tranquility. It was the Hebrew word shalom and it was pregnant with meaning. It meant wholeness, completeness, serenity, and harmony of life. At the very center of this peace is peace with God—reconciliation with the one who breathed life into the universe. 

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them the Garden of Eden as a perfect paradise. He came and walked with them and talked with them and they had peace with God. Then came the tragedy of sin, and humanity was alienated from God. That wonderful peace was shattered. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. His shed blood was our only way out of this mess. Jesus died and rose from the grave so that you and I could have peace with God. Because he lives, I have peace with God. Because of him, I have a relationship with the Creator of the universe and so can you.

I HAVE A PURPOSE!
I want you to catch the next thing Jesus said. He tells his disciples: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Where was he sending them? Everywhere. In other words, they were going to become ambassadors of Christ. Their mission, should they choose to accept it, was to spread the word about the cross and the empty tomb—to share the message of Jesus with their friends, neighbors, and relatives. They would use their love, their lives, and their lips to testify about power of the cross and the promise of eternal life.

At some po int in your life you have to ask yourself, “Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?” Science attempts to answer the first question, and philosophy wrestles with the second; but only Jesus offers a meaningful answer to all three. The search for the meaning of life has puzzled people for thousands of years, primarily, because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but life’s not all about you. It’s about him. Because of Jesus, I know why I exist and what I’m supposed to do with my time here on earth. Because he lives, my life has purpose.

I HAVE A PROMISE
The gospel of John tells us, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31 NIV).

That’s the promise of John 3:16 too, isn’t it? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall no perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NIV).

All throughout his ministry Jesus promised life-everlasting to those who believe in him. Jesus said so clearly, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV). It’s that abundant life that we anticipate as believers. Many people today hope for a long and happy life, but Jesus offers so much more. He offers forever—eternity, life without end!

Adedayo Adebiyi