Celebrating Easter has been something my family has done since I can remember.  Easter egg hunts, candy baskets, stuffed bunnies and a new spring dress.  When I got married and had children, I carried on some of those traditions with our little ones. We would do a quick Easter hunt, then quickly get ready for the worship service.  Our church would have a special meal and often we would have a family gathering that evening or Easter Monday.  For a few years, we would pack up our van before church and then leave right after service to head to Alberta.  We would spend the spring break with the Selke family who lived in the Edmonton area. 

This past Sunday morning, our daughter-in-law prepared a special basket and hid little chocolate eggs around our house for Kaira (2 1/2 years old) to find.  The wonder in her eyes at the discovery of treats and her enthusiasm to find "more" was a delight to all of us!

I remember the first Christmas as a follower of Jesus Christ held special memories for me.  The familiar Christmas carols had personal meaning, the gifts and family time held more joy because I was celebrating the birth of my Saviour, Jesus.  I knew the story, but now it meant so much more!  And the first Easter, I tried to read the Bible passages about Good Friday and the death of Jesus.  I rushed ahead to the Resurrection accounts in the Gospels because I wanted to have the happy ending.  His death was important but so hard to bear!  How could an innocent man be so wrongly accused and not defended?  No wonder the daylight became dark for three hours when Jesus Christ hung on that cross!

But that amazing Sunday morning, when the women went to the tomb before sunrise, still brings a thrill to my heart.  Their sorrow must have slowed their steps, dreading the task of preparing their Lord's body for a proper burial.  And when they approached the tomb, an angel greeted them.  They couldn't believe their eyes: the heavy stone was rolled away and this blinding light emphasized the fact that the tomb was empty.  Where was their beloved Jesus?   The angel told them the good news: "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?  He is not here. He is risen."  Confusion, chaos, doubt and lies filled the next hours and days as the missing body could not be accounted for.  In one Gospel account, Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus - in her grief she assumed He was the gardener - and was sent to announce He was alive to the rest of the disciples!

 The disciples experienced special appearances of the Risen Saviour in the days that followed.  Jesus appeared to them in the house they stayed at in Jerusalem, while they were still there for Passover.  He walked along the road to Emmaeus with some of Jesus' bewildered followers, then revealed His identity to them and ate with them.  A week later, Thomas encountered  the Lord and was given the opportunity to see the nail prints and wound in Jesus' side from the crucifixion.  

If we were to witness the execution of our hero, our Teacher, then see His burial in a tomb, would we expect to ever see the Son of God again on this earth?  Yet, the Bible has four accounts and historical records from other sources also to back up the truth:  Jesus of Nazareth lives.  

Here's an acrostic for the word GOSPEL.   

G - God's

O - Only

S - Salvation

P - Plan

E - Ever

L - Launched 

The Gospel is a biblical word that means "good news."  And the death and resurrection of Jesus is that good news for all of us.  We can believe and receive the death of Jesus in our place, the death that paid for our sins' consequences.  God made this way for us to be forgiven and made right with Him.  And His resurrection gives us proof that He is divine, eternal and the promised One.  This is the pinnacle of the Gospel, Easter Sunday.  

There is no greater event since the beginning of time.  

Along with the family dinners, spring decorations and new Easter bonnet, what does Easter mean to you?