Once a Year Is Not Enough for Me

Celebrate what Jesus did for us — today and every day.

Eas·ter

/ˈēstər/

noun

1. the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and held (in the Western Church) between March 21 and April 25, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox.

I’m not into holiday celebrations very much. No chocolate bunnies or Easter baskets for me.

I am, however, all about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. That’s because everything in my worship of Christ hinges on this one event. To paraphrase the apostle Paul, people like me should be pitied if it didn’t take place. That’s because we’ve bought into the biggest lie ever told in all of human history.

However, the reverse should be considered by anyone who loves and pursues truth. If Christ was indeed raised from the grave, then those of us who adore him are anything but fools. We have made the most reasonable decision any human could ever make: We’ve agreed to follow the one who not only died for our sins but was resurrected from his borrowed tomb over 2,000 years ago.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

That is a sensible question. Another way of asking it is, what difference does it make whether or not God spoke life into the dead body of Jesus? The answer can only be found by understanding what his purpose in coming was and what he promised to those who believe that Jesus’ resurrection is good news.

First of all, it is an inescapable fact that every human to ever set foot on this planet is a sinner. I don’t mean that we all kind of “mess up” every now and then. I mean we have all told God, at one point or another, that he is unworthy of our worship. That he is unqualified to be God. That we can do a better job. That we will direct our own footsteps.

Of course, I’ve observed that this approach never works out well for us. I know it didn’t for me.  All I got for my arrogant rebellion was pain and misery. I was headed nowhere good, and I was traveling there at the speed of light.

So, when someone told me the story of Jesus, that he died to erase my sinful criminal record, I finally jumped at the chance to get in on what God was offering to buy for me. I yearned for the freedom from the guilt and shame that had a firm grip on my throat. 

Secondly, I was enthralled by his promise that he would raise my body from the grave, but there was more. Once I believed in him and confessed him as Lord, God promised that he would raise me up to live a new life (Romans 6:2-4). My decision to put my faith in his love for me was an amazing opportunity to begin living a new resurrection life in the present. Even though I look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, I am content in the present because I rely on the promise of resurrection. 

And raise me up to new life he did. From the moment that I put the old Phil to death and began to allow him to guide my path, he began to mold me and shape me into the image of his Son. Over the past 40-something years, he has continued to do a mighty work in my heart to the extent that I am barely recognizable compared to the old me. I’m a new man and becoming newer every day. Even after all these years. 

EASTER EVERY DAY!

If the religious world wants to set apart a special day to remember the resurrection of Jesus, I say that’s a good thing. No argument from me. Any time anyone remembers and celebrates the risen Lord Jesus, I’m going to stand behind that person. We are partners in the gospel.

But once a year is not enough for me. That’s because, once I began to love him, he became my whole life. I try to filter everything I do through the fact that he died for me and was raised from the dead for me. Every day, from the moment I wake up until I go to bed, I am aware of where I came from and where God has taken me by his mercy. Had he not done what he did by mercifully paying the debt I owed him, I would still be wallowing in the mud — if I was still alive, that is. I would still be lost — living for nothing — waiting on a six-foot hole in the ground.

So, because he sacrificed everything for me, it’s not difficult for me to offer up my life to him as a living sacrifice. I know I’ll never fully arrive in this life, but my goal is to be changed daily by God’s Spirit to become more like Christ. I want to imitate him in his desire to obey God.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”

—Hebrews 10:5-7

I’m not doing this in order to earn something from God but because I’m really very grateful that he saved my rotten hide from certain death. I’m thankful to him for replacing hopelessness with eternal hope. I place great value on his promise to raise my flesh from the earthly grave and take me straight into God’s presence. I want to live with him for eternity, so I live for him now. I tell God every day (just as Jesus did), “I have come to do your will, my God!”

This isn’t a difficult decision for me, to follow Jesus into obedience. The way I figure it, I am honored just by being called by his name. I simply want to please the man who was raised from the grave.

So, while I’m happy, happy, happy that the religious world is holding up the resurrection of Christ on this special Sunday, I have been doing it every single day for over 46 years. I guess you could say that I love Easter so much that I celebrate it every day.

I don’t regret it! Not a single bit!