On a yearly basis, Christians revisit and reenact the days of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. This began way before the English-speaking world started talking about a holiday called “Easter.” Rather, from the very beginnings of the faith, Christians assembled on Sundays because that was and is the day of our Lord Jesus’ resurrection. Every Sunday is like a “little Easter,” in that sense.
And we rejoice to assemble together in the name of Jesus annually to begin the 50-day season of the Christian Passover (what the non-English-speaking world calls Easter), to celebrate aright the power of Christ over the grave.
Many people don’t realize that this is an unnatural, or supernatural, celebration. The natural order requires suffering, sickness, sorrow, sin, and slaying. Yet our hearts yearn for a realm in which none of these things exist. Even if we cannot imagine it, we hunger for it. And that is what the resurrection of Jesus prefigures: A Kingdom of eternal peace, in which the order of this world has been brought to an end. Our call as Christians is not to become content with the sorrows and sins of this life, but to worship our Lord Jesus who defeated death by walking in his ways, scoffing at satan and his minions.
When Christ rose from the dead, he kicked death in the teeth. We participate in his same power when we live and walk in the Spirit. As Martin Luther phrased it: “Let goods and kindred go. This mortal life, also. The body they may kill. God’s truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever!” We can be deprived of anything because the salvation we have in Christ Jesus is a greater treasure than all things. And no one can rob us of him, nor him of us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God! (Rom. 8:31-39)
Every day, every season, is a new opportunity to walk in the light of Christ. The church is Christ’s body on earth, commissioned with the holy task of collectively having and living the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5-11). We can and should mourn the sins and sorrows of the past, but only insofar as it helps us to run into the arms of Christ, for “in the arms of my dear Savior, oh, there are ten thousand charms!” May God’s embrace warm you this Holy Week.