Easter

Easter, the last and most significant day of Holy Week for Christians all over the world. It began with the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem for a week of celebration only to end with His crucifixion, burial and finally His resurrection from the dead. To some He was a significant person in history, but to believers, He is the source of salvation, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life.

Many celebrate the week by actually walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, often stopping at the twelve places that Jesus stopped as He carried the cross to Golgotha. Churches set up similar prayer stations to help people visualize the experience. Occasionally, we will hear about men who will actually let themselves be nailed to a cross in a similar fashion to relive the experience. For some, Easter is the one day out of the year that they actually go to church.

Some people use the occasion to celebrate the dawning of spring and new growth after a long cold winter. We deck ourselves out in new clothes, we have Easter egg hunts, fill baskets with candy and chocolate rabbits. Some cities have parades and other festivities to mark the day, and of course, retailers are quick to jump at the opportunity to commemorate it with a sale.

But no matter how people celebrate or remember, no one has been able to duplicate His death, burial, and resurrection. It only happened once, but that's all that we needed. Unlike these baskets that go on a shelf until next Easter, our relationship with Jesus Christ lives on. It's not something to be celebrated once a year, but something to be lived every day.