The great biblical scholar and writer N. T. Wright asks, “Is it any wonder people find it hard to believe in the Resurrection of Jesus if we don’t throw our hats in the air? Is it any wonder we find it hard to live the Resurrection if we don’t do it exuberantly in our liturgies? Is it any wonder the world doesn’t take much notice if Easter is celebrated as simply the one-day happy ending tacked on to forty days of fasting and gloom?”

Yes, the Resurrection of Christ is our greatest event. Yes, Easter is the Church’s greatest day.

Take Christmas away and, in biblical terms, you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke. That’s it. Take Easter away and you don’t have a New Testament. You don’t have Christianity. As Paul says, our preaching is worthless, we are still in our sins, and we are to be pitied beyond all men.

We can’t allow Easter bunnies and eggs and dresses and bonnets (does anybody wear Easter bonnets anymore?) or furniture sales or car lot closeouts to distract us or blow us off course. Easter Sunday is our greatest Sunday. And we should put the flags out.

We should rejoice in our Lord’s Resurrection. We should celebrate his current andĀ forever reign at the right hand of the Father. We should declare the gracious gift of eternal life that comes to all those who share in Christ’s Resurrection. And we should live — man, we should live!! — into the Resurrection, through the Resurrection, because of the Resurrection!

It’s Friday. But Sunday’s comin’!

Grace and Peace,

Allan