I spent my day yesterday celebrating Easter. The day started by spending the morning at church, celebrating the resurrection with six services. Then Alycia and I spent the afternoon and evening celebrating with our families.
I love Easter. Easter points us to the reality that everything changed when Jesus rose from the grave. The universe was one way when Jesus was in the tomb and it was entirely different when the tomb was empty.
Jesus destroyed sin.
Jesus destroyed death.
Jesus destroyed darkness.
The universe changed because of what Jesus did. And now, just as the universe has changed, we can be changed as well.
How we respond to the universe-altering reality of the resurrection, though, will impact how much we change.
When Voldemort was faced with the new reality of Harry Potter, he wasn’t able to change. He responded poorly and it eventually led to his downfall.
Even when Steve Rogers was “killed” and Norman Osborn was made Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Osborn couldn’t change in light of a new reality. When all was said and done, he still fell back into his villainous ways.
We can’t follow the example of characters like Voldemort and Norman Osborn. Easter ushered in a new reality, one in which we get to live every day. Voldemort and Osborn ignored their new realities and suffered for it. If we can acknowledge the new reality of Easter and choose to live in it every day then we will be transformed.
Zefram Cochrane faced a new reality when he made first contact with the Vulcans. Instead of caving beneath that pressure, he changed and helped usher humanity into a brighter future.
In Man of Steel, when Clark Kent learned the truth about himself, his reality was changed. He met the challenge head on, though, and became the hero he was born to be.
Everything changed at Easter and now everything in us can be changed. If we want to experience that transformation, though, we need to embrace the new reality. We need to turn from the sin, death and darkness of the occupied tomb, to the forgiveness, life and light of the empty tomb.
How do you live out the reality of Easter every day?
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