Bothered By Easter

This year, perhaps more than I can remember, I was bothered by Easter. There were several things, actually. While preparing my sermon and getting my PowerPoint slides ready, I did a simple Google image search for "Easter." I'm not sure how far down I would have had to scroll to find anything remotely related to Jesus or the cross or the empty tomb, because the first several pages were full of bunnies, eggs and flowers. Same thing with the ads. Everything in the advertisements was about spring. I like spring. I wish it would arrive. I'm ready to welcome spring. But it's not the same as Easter. And then, while perusing Facebook, I saw a lot of posts on Easter from various sorts of folks that said something along the lines of, "Whatever you believe, I hope you have a nice Easter."

Here's the problem with that nice-sounding sentiment: Easter isn't just about "whatever you believe." Easter is about Jesus. Yes, granted, the name can be said to have pagan origins, but the celebration and the timing (at the same time as Passover) is about Jesus. Easter makes no sense without Jesus because Easter is about resurrection, and, as I said in my sermon on Sunday, the Christian faith rises or falls on the truth of the resurrection. It's not about "whatever you believe." Easter is about Jesus.

Now, in case I don't yet sound too much like a cranky pastor, let me go a bit further. Where is the outcry? For the last several years, we've had people talking about a "War on Christmas," proclaiming that we have to leave Christ in Christmas, stop wishing people "Happy Holidays," and insist stores mention Christmas. We claim the media is busy taking Jesus out of Christmas. And yet, Jesus has, apparently, already been taken completely out of Easter, and no one says anything. I heard no one talking about a "War on Easter." I see no bumper stickers saying, "Leave Christ in Easter." We're content, even many Christians seem content, to let Easter be about "whatever you believe." But it's not. Easter is about Jesus. In fact, in the early church, Christmas wasn't even on the radar. Christmas wasn't celebrated until much, much later (sometime near the beginning of the fourth century). It was all about Easter—all about what Jesus did on the cross and how that was validated and vindicated by the empty tomb.

We should be bothered more by Easter, but it seems we've become content, even as followers of Christ, to lump Easter into a "nice, festive spring holiday." Sorry, I'm not content to just celebrate a bunny or an egg or even a basket. I'm too busy celebrating the empty tomb...because Easter is about Jesus.