Easter: What Does It Even Mean?

For most Americans, Easter consists of cotton tailed bunnies, nauseatingly bright eggs, teeth-rotting candy, and cute, floral dresses.  Well, maybe that last one is only how I think of Easter....  What all of us are forgetting is the true meaning behind Easter!  Yesterday, I went to visit my family to celebrate the national holiday.  Sadly, as the night winded down, I realized that hardly a word had been breathed about Jesus' death or resurrection.  Isn't that what Easter is about?  Isn't that the true meaning?  Although the answer to both questions is yes, let's not forget the other meaning.  If you were to go out and ask a Christian, "What does Easter mean to you?", they would probably reply, "The death and resurrection of Christ".  That's all fine and dandy, but did they actually stop to think about what they were saying?  Most don't.  Why is Jesus' death on the cross so important?  Why is His resurrection so vital to mankind?  The answer is simple: His death on the cross and resurrection three days later are the ticket to eternal life.  Yeah, it's a pretty straightforward answer, but Christians too quickly forget it.  So you see, there's the meaning behind Easter and the meaning behind the meaning.  Sorry if I just confused you.  Just look at the sentence and really think about it.  The meaning behind Easter= Christ's death and resurrection.  The meaning behind Christ's death and resurrection= Eternal life with God.  Get it now?  Good.  The purpose of this post is not to condemn you for forgetting Easter's meaning.  Nor is it meant to encourage you to go out and condemn other Christians.  I only wanted to write a post on Easter to remind you, and me, about the innocent blood sacrificed to set us free.  This blood sets us free from sin, from judgment, from hopelessness, and from Hell itself.  Only Christ's blood can set us free. 

I watched a portion of The Passion of the Christ a few days ago and was stunned.  If you have a strong enough stomach, stronger than mine, I encourage you to watch the movie.  The Passion vividly illustrates the extreme pain, torment, and ridicule that Jesus Christ willingly faced just to save us.  I guarantee you there is no greater love than that.  We are so undeserving of this love, yet it is still freely given to us!  I just can't emphasize enough how amazing this is!  Normally, I put a Bible verse or two in my posts, but I honestly feel that you should take time out of your "busy" day to read one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  Any one of the gospels will do.  What Christ did for us can only be described as glorious and beautiful.  With that final thought, I HOPE YOU HAD A HAPPY EASTER!  :-)