who broke easter?
Does Easter feel broken this year? Well, it is. Why? Because we are confined. And our regular patterns and traditions are impacted. What we once thought was normal, now isn’t. Most of us are creatures of habit and when something changes, it hurts, it’s frustrating, and it’s scary.
But Easter by its very nature shows us how to respond.
The celebration of Easter happens because after Jesus was killed by crucifixion, the most violent and intense form of execution in ancient times, He came back to life. So, what happened in that moment? He gave us a path to restoration. If we believe Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus is who He says He is, we will be restored back to God and given eternal life.
This is what Jesus explained to Martha in John 11 while He comforted her at her brother, Lazarus’ death. And she chose to believe.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” - John 11:25-27 NIV
Easter gives the promise of restoration. It provides the hope that even though we are separated from God by our sin, we can come back to Him. It gives us hope to keep living, serving, and loving others.
And that my friends is the gospel in the purest sense. But how does it help us with this broken Easter?
Churches aren’t meeting for a sunrise service. We can’t be near our friends and family to celebrate. Things are in short supply and we can’t find the fun candy that we always buy for the kids’ Easter baskets. We won’t be able to go out to celebrate Easter at our favorite restaurant or even be able to eat Mom’s homemade mashed potatoes.
Easter is broken this year and it sucks. But let’s solve the problem together.
All those things we can’t do are our traditions. They are what we hope for each year. It is what we know and love - our yearly pattern of celebration. Think of how confused the followers of Jesus must have been when they realized they no longer needed to atone for their sins through sacrificing animals like we find in the Old Testament. Jesus had sacrificed Himself. Their tradition was broken.
But what happened? For those that chose to follow Jesus, tradition changed. And that is what we need to do - change tradition. Are your Easter traditions important? Can they change? I think so and here’s how.
Some traditions will need to be put on hold for one more year. We can’t have dinner with the whole family at Dad and Mom’s house or take the kids for an Easter egg hunt at the local park.
Other traditions can change to help us make it through. The sun will still rise on Easter Sunday morning. So, get out of bed. Roll the kids out too and go outside. Watch the sun rise, read the Easter Story found in Matthew 28, and sing Up From The Grave. If you hate mornings, wake up in time to attend your church’s Easter Service or find one online. If you don’t have a church home, here’s a link to find our Easter Service or another one of my favorites to visit online - Fresh Life Church. And for the kids, you can do an Easter egg hunt in your house. Instead of candy inside the eggs, put in some coins.
We can pause traditions. We can change traditions. But even better, we can create new traditions. They don’t have to be elaborate or complicated. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Write a “When Easter Was Broken Story” that you read every year to remember how God helped you through when times were tough.
Facetime or call Grandma or Grandpa first thing in the morning to wish them Happy Easter!
Decide to cook something new this year that can be added to next year’s family dinner too.
Try to dress up like the Easter Bunny and pick a winner for best dressed.
Make an “I am thankful for” list.
Call a family member and ask them to finish this sentence, “My favorite Easter was...”
Reach out to restore a broken relationship through communication and kindness.
Remember, traditions don’t often start by accident, we purposefully choose to start and continue them. This year, we have the power to adjust and create new traditions that impact our family story. All it takes is a little time and a little imagination. These are traditions that can unify our families, shape our lives, and allow us to teach and impact the next generation. And best of all, it will give you hope as you anticipate what next Easter might bring.
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody