Tag: Easter

No Easter nor Good News without Christ

By The Moderator.

The postmodern worldview wishes to celebrate festivals and holidays without the knowledge nor commitment to history and factual events. This world view is anti-Christian and espouses an ideal that humanity is god and is able to deny the reality of nature and natural processes. On the contrary, true Christians understand the fallen nature of humanity, how limited we are in controlling our destiny and how easily we are thrown hither and thither by the forces of nature. That is why our trust is in the King of Kings. Tucker Carlson sheds light on the current dichotomy of world views in our society below.

After a number of years without having the opportunity to teach about Christ in the elementary school, an opportunity arose to explore and discuss the historic nature of Easter symbols. The curriculum allows children to explore factual historic events and common cultural symbols in an impartial way, as long as this is prefaced with, “Christians believe…” This exploration easily led to reading ‘The Easter Story” which described, in a simplified manner, the last week of Jesus’s life and His Resurrection. Some students had a more detailed understanding of the life of Christ than others and I felt blessed that I was able to share a simple, factual explanation of the last days of Jesus and the hope of new life with Him.

The following day, in a follow up lesson on special days and celebrations, one young girl told me that her mother was “angry, very angry” because the lesson on Easter involved Jesus. Yet without Jesus, there would be no holiday, no hope nor forgiveness. I explained to the girl that it was part of the curriculum, and not religious instruction to explore special days and events in the study of history and the social sciences. She responded that her mother would prefer us to learn only about bunnies. With further prompting, she admitted that her family celebrated Easter with chocolate eggs, but without Jesus.

To deny a child knowledge of Jesus, the Son of God, who has shaped the culture and monumental events in history, is pure ignorance. Even pagans and atheists need to have knowledge of Christ and the eternal hope that Christians have in His works for our salvation. Otherwise history, celebrations and symbols become meaningless. An egg no longer is the symbol of the empty tomb and the risen Christ. A cross on the bun will no longer represent the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for our transgressions. Rabbits will no longer symbolise new life and fertility – but rather a mysterious purveyor of foetid chocolate.

“Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

And yet the post modern world is becoming hostile to all forms of conservatism and Christianity. An age of great persecution against Christians in the west is coming – be warned that this age wants to erase facts, gender, family, history and natural justice. But most of all, they wish to make man into god so as to glorify themselves above all else.

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

The Empty Tomb

The Resurrection

John 20:1-18 (ESV)

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’[a] head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[b] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

The Empty Tomb.pdfDownload