Easter Devotional 2023 - Day 1: Easter is About...

Last year I spent twenty bucks to boost the Facebook post, advertising North Park's Easter services. Some of the public comments were brutal. Most of the negative comments involved my use of the term "Easter". Easter originated as an ancient pagan celebration of the spring equinox. The term "Easter" goes back to a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. It makes sense that we would celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus in the spring when new life is all around us but why use the pagan term Easter? Well, why not take a pagan term and make it Christian? The Bible says, Overcome evil with good (Ro 12:21). Right now, in our world, language is changing so quickly that it is difficult to keep up. As Isaiah said, evil has become good and good has become evil (Is 5:20) This is literally true when it comes to language. "Jesus", the ultimate good, becomes a swear word and "wicked" has become the preferred term for anything awesome.

Suffice to say, it doesn’t bother my conscience to use the word "Easter" when referring to the celebration of the most significant event in history. In fact, through this series of "Easter" devotions, it is my prayerful hope that we can take six more of what may be considered pagan Easter traditions back to their Christ-centered roots and through those pagan secular traditions, proclaim Christ as risen from the dead because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Ro 10:9 Paul goes on to explain that it is with the heart that one is justified, that is declared righteous, before God. So, let's not worry about silly things. Rather, let's concern ourselves with the weighty matter of believing what God has done for us through the resurrection of Christ - and believing that truth in our hearts. Let's get powerful in our faith this week. Let's put on our big boy pants, stand up strong in the power of Christ and His resurrection. Let's not cower on the defensive, instead let's play offense and confess everywhere that Jesus is Lord because we know and have believed that God raised Him from the dead!

Take that into your prayer closet now and into the world as you grow in faith this week.

Last year I spent twenty bucks to boost the Facebook post, advertising North Park's Easter services. Some of the public comments were brutal. Most of the negative comments involved my use of the term "Easter". Easter originated as an ancient pagan celebration of the spring equinox. The term "Easter" goes back to a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. It makes sense that we would celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus in the spring when new life is all around us but why use the pagan term Easter? Well, why not take a pagan term and make it Christian? The Bible says, Overcome evil with good (Ro 12:21). Right now, in our world, language is changing so quickly that it is difficult to keep up. As Isaiah said, evil has become good and good has become evil (Is 5:20) This is literally true when it comes to language. "Jesus", the ultimate good, becomes a swear word and "wicked" has become the preferred term for anything awesome.

Suffice to say, it doesn’t bother my conscience to use the word "Easter" when referring to the celebration of the most significant event in history. In fact, through this series of "Easter" devotions, it is my prayerful hope that we can take six more of what may be considered pagan Easter traditions back to their Christ-centered roots and through those pagan secular traditions, proclaim Christ as risen from the dead because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Ro 10:9 Paul goes on to explain that it is with the heart that one is justified, that is declared righteous, before God. So, let's not worry about silly things. Rather, let's concern ourselves with the weighty matter of believing what God has done for us through the resurrection of Christ - and believing that truth in our hearts. Let's get powerful in our faith this week. Let's put on our big boy pants, stand up strong in the power of Christ and His resurrection. Let's not cower on the defensive, instead let's play offense and confess everywhere that Jesus is Lord because we know and have believed that God raised Him from the dead!

Take that into your prayer closet now and into the world as you grow in faith this week.