The Coronavirus Can’t Cancel Easter!
Palm Sunday is behind us, and we’re now approaching Easter weekend. Without a doubt, Easter 2020 will stand out for years to come. Many churches around the nation (and world) won’t even be able to meet together because of COVID-19. And even for those that can, life is just different right now. We’re all bombarded by thoughts of sickness and death, and permeating the air is a certain uncertainty.
But that is what makes Easter stand out all the more!
It was the resurrection of Jesus that once and for all dealt with disease and death and uncertainty! When Jesus died for our sins and rose again, he proved he defeated not only sin but death. And in so doing he secured eternal life for all who will repent of their sin and trust in him (1 Peter 1:3-5, Mark 1:15).
Therefore, regardless of what disease or virus or sickness or trial hit us — we know what is to come. And it is a very good outcome. We will forever be with the Savior of our souls, enjoying a perfect place where there will be no more tears, nor death, nor mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore (Revelation 21:4). We will be with God, in perfect virus-free bodies, living on the New Earth, impervious to problems of every kind (Revelation 22:1-5). That is something to celebrate this Easter!
Even if we have to celebrate solo, or with friends digitally, or with a smaller crowd than normal, what Jesus accomplished on Easter morn’ is worth celebrating with every fiber of our being.
Get in Celebration Mode!
One of the ways I get in celebration-mode each Easter is by remembering when Jesus saved me. And the Coronavirus might be able to hinder Easter services, but it can’t touch that!
For me, it was 13 years ago, actually during Easter week. At a Good Friday service back in 2007 God opened my eyes and showed me my sin for the very first time (though I had called myself a Christian since childhood). I admitted I was a sinner for decades, but deep down I didn’t think I was that bad. Essentially, I was too busy comparing my moral superiority to people around me, rather than comparing myself to God’s perfect standard (of which I fall desperately short).
I remember that moment so well: we were writing down any sin we’ve committed, and then taking that piece of paper and nailing it to a cross. It was a tangible exercise to remind us of the great transaction that took place on that cross. But for me it was so much more…because it wasn’t just a reminder, it was the moment of real salvation. In writing down those sins, I finally saw how desperately I needed a Savior. What a humbling and glorious moment that was!
And ever since then, Easter is the best holiday there ever was. Not the bunnies, or the brunches, or even the Easter service in particular. I’m talking about the fact that Jesus came to earth, he lived a perfect life you and I could never live, he died on the cross taking the punishment we deserve, and then he rose again, proving he defeated death and sin. And we can have Jesus’ perfect life credited to ours, we can have forgiveness of sins, and we can have eternal life if we just turn to him. That is worth celebrating. Even if we are stuck at home doing so.
Start Celebrating!
When did Jesus save you? If you want to really get in celebration mode, make it personal. Think through the events that surrounded the time you understood your sin. Reflect on the moment you trusted in Jesus to forgive you for all the ways you sought to do life your way instead of his. Remember the day you turned from your sin and started following Jesus. That is what Easter is all about — how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus transforms lives and saves souls.
Perhaps part of this year’s celebration can be talking about the work God did in each of our lives. Let’s tell our story — well, God’s story, really. It’s the work he did to open our eyes and show us our need for him. And this is something we can do on Zoom, or on Facetime, or during a phone call, or on social media. Let’s celebrate God’s saving power!
All that to say, though Easter may look a little different this year, may it only prove more fresh and relevant. Because, while the world is focusing on sickness and death and uncertainty, you have Jesus. You have your greatest problems solved in him, and you have the guarantee of a better future…
“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-5
Don’t let the Coronavirus dampen your celebration, let it deepen it!
- Heather Pace
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