Naomi Law: Would you choose Christmas or Easter? - Galesburg Register-Mail
Galesburg Register-Mail
Rev. Jon Sibley was a pastor for all the people. He could bring a smile to anyone's face. You always knew when he was “in the building” due to his voice and unique laugh. He joked about everything with one major exception. He never joked about his love for Jesus Christ.
He was intelligent in a way that made people want to try harder. He gave encouragement without being judgmental. I remember that he would often initiate our conversations with “food for thought.” I can only imagine what he would think of all that has transpired over the last few years. Instead of answers, he often presented a challenging question. I recall when he asked me which was my favorite holiday and the choices were Christmas or Easter. That made me think.
Christmas or Easter. Of course, it is impossible to have one without the other. Christians believe that our savior, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas. Even though we are not speaking of a specific day, or even time of year, we believe that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary on a day that we now call Christmas.
The Bible stories do not include much about the boyhood of Jesus. An exception is when he chose to be at the Temple, “being about his Father’s business.” There are very few Biblical records of the life of Jesus until he had become a man. The stories about the young man named Jesus are all leading to the day of crucifixion and then the resurrection. That is the day that we, Christians, refer to as Easter Sunday. There could be no Easter without Christmas and Christmas is meaningless without Easter.
No, Pastor Jon, I cannot choose a favorite. I am so grateful that Mary accepted the gift. That she agreed to carry and give birth to the Christ child. At that time, she had no way of knowing that she would stand at the foot of the cross and be a witness to the death of her child, her son, her Jesus. As a mother of an only son, I weep with her. I can’t watch the movie, “The Passion” without tears rolling down my cheeks. It is as if my own child is on that cross and that it is his back that is disfigured with scars. I moan when the whip is raised and lowered. I can almost feel the pain myself. When Jesus speaks his words, I can only cry. I feel so guilty and so grateful and so unworthy. Jesus took on the pain, the scorn, the whips for my sin and for yours. There is no Christmas joy until you know the rest of the story.
They tell me that the lifeless body of Jesus was buried in a tomb. The Bible tells us that he was dead and that he had died for you and for me. Christmas is the beginning or the story leading to Resurrection Sunday.
With a sword struck in his side, Jesus was declared dead. His lifeless body was placed in a tomb. Later at his burial, they rolled the stone over the entrance of the tomb. There was no way for anyone to enter and clearly no way for anyone to leave. The witnesses said he died. There was no life in him.
The next morning the women went to the burial place. They found the tomb open but there was no body. The women were startled and even afraid. They stood at the front of the tomb and began to weep until an angel appeared. The angel was there with the good news of the gospel. The angel told them that Jesus was not in the tomb because he had risen.
That is why we celebrate Easter. That is Resurrection Sunday. That is why we have hope. That is the reason for Christmas Day and why we cherish Easter.
No, Pastor Jon, I can’t choose. You knew the answer before you asked the question. You knew that it was impossible to say that one day is more significant than the other. The day of his birth or Resurrection Sunday? Christmas or Easter? These days are about much more than children’s toys, Santa, bunnies, egg hunts and animated stories.
Merry Christmas and Happy Easter are simply greetings to some. However, for some, the meaning of the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, and his resurrection are the difference between despair and hope.
Song lyrics proclaim, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” We sing, “ I serve a risen savior, he’s in the world today.” He lives!
Happy Easter, dear readers. May you have a day of celebration. No matter what tomorrow brings, we, believers, have our faith to give us hope. Happy Resurrection Sunday for our living Savior, Jesus Christ!
Naomi Law is a retired educator and administrator. She is the author of “The Adventures of Orie the Orpheum Mouse” and a community volunteer.
source: https://www.galesburg.com/story/opinion/columns/2022/04/16/naomi-law-would-you-choose-christmas-easter/7324874001/
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