Making Sense of the Easter Story

Dads’ survival guide: proclaiming our beliefs

What’s up with Easter?

Not the Egg hunt. The bunnies. Or Peeps. What’s the celebration all about?

After all, Easter is big on the religious calendar. For ardent followers. And CEO church-goers (Christmas and Easter Only). With Good Friday thrown in the mix, it makes for an unusual holiday weekend.

Easter. A holy, family gathering. Sometime in Spring. To celebrate the Resurrection. Which means what, exactly? And why is it relevant to Dads nowadays?

Why Now?

Jewish holidays are founded on specific Biblical references. For timing and duration. Celebrated this week, Passover is meticulously observed. Particulars for the Seder meal. Torah recitations. Blessings. And prayers. Even the name is straightforward.

Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter evolved over time. There is no scriptural support for the time of year Jesus of Nazareth was born. The day He died. Or was raised from the dead.

Christmas Day, the Mass of Christ. Selected by 3rd century Romans. December 25th was the Winter solstice on their calendar. As the shortest day, each one following would have more light, symbolic of Christ’s birth.

Likewise, Easter falls around the vernal equinox. The day with equal periods of light and darkness. Nowadays, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the Spring equinox. Got that? During a season when nature experiences new life and rebirth. Okay, that makes sense.

The name Easter has no Biblical significance. Emanating from the English Dark Ages celebration of Spring, the moniker somehow stuck.

History of the Mystery

Passover is easy for any Dad to explain to our kids. A festival celebrating the Lord passing over the Israelites’ homes. Culminating in a Moses-led exodus from Egyptian bondage.

By comparison, Easter is a mystery. A supernatural return to life. After a purposeful death. With deep faith implications. Challenging for any Dad to understand. Much less explain.

Jesus was born during the Roman occupation. The Pharisees were granted authority over the Jewish people. These religious leaders were experts in Jewish law. Daily observances. As well as ritual sacrifices. Ceremonial atonement for the people’s inherent sins. The only means to be clean enough for the Lord.

Life under Roman rule was going fine. Till Jesus showed up.

He was just a craftsman. From a small Jewish village. With no formal training. Or pedigree. Jesus spoke to small gatherings. In poor neighborhoods. With a ragtag group of disciples in tow. Fishermen, mostly. Peasants. Even tax collectors. The dregs of humanity.

His message was enlightening. And disruptive. Jesus told the crowds there was a means for any of them to know God. Personally. Directly. And be with the Lord. Forever. In Heaven. Regardless of their past transgressions. Or sins. There was indeed a way. And Jesus was the Way.

This Good News (Gospel) was diametrically opposed to the existing religious doctrine. Not surprisingly, his preaching upset the Pharisees. If the lowest of the low had the same access to God as the most revered leaders, the societal power structure would be upended.

Thus, the path to Jesus’ execution was predictable. In fact, it was by design. God ordained every step. Which Jesus revealed to His disciples. Many times. He would be persecuted. Put to death. Then raised from the dead. In three days.

The throngs following Jesus believed He was the Messiah. The Christ. Foretold by Scripture. Anointed to free Israel from Roman rule. And return their nation to prominence.

Yet, in front of their eyes, this warrior king was executed. Their deliverer was dead.

The Resurrection

Mary Magdalene was the first to discover Jesus missing from the burial tomb. This detail is important. Women were at the bottom of the societal ladder. With little or no credibility. If the Resurrection was a fabricated story, the authors would never have picked a woman to be first.

And nothing seems more fictional than the Resurrection of Jesus. Well, besides his virgin birth. Yet, four Gospel writers provide exacting details of the trial by Pontius Pilate. The crucifixion at Golgotha. The scorn. Insults. Grieving. And the disbelief of the witnesses. As well as numerous encounters with the risen Jesus.

John, the closest disciple, documents one such interaction. The resurrected Jesus is on a beach. By the Sea of Galilee. Preparing a meal for Peter, John, and others. After miraculously filling their nets with fish, He instructs them to bring the catch. “Peter dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn.”

Again, the specifics are important. The particulars. Jesus cooking breakfast. A catch of 153. The ensuing conversation. This was no fish story. But rather, a detailed, eye-witness account of a supernatural event.

The Meaning Behind the Mystery

Okay, so Jesus was raised from the dead. Fine. What does it mean? For Dads? Today?

Jesus was not a warrior sent to defeat the Romans. But rather a Savior sent to defeat sin. That selfish, self-centered nature in all of us. Jesus died for you and me. Everyone. Taking our place. To face judgment. In front of God. He paid for our transgressions. Past, present, and future. With His life.

And because of His death, we are forgiven. By God. The forgiveness we did not deserve. Grace. Unmerited favor. Freely given. To each of us. Any of us. Because of Christ. Setting us free. From guilt. Shame. Worry. Angst. Discouragement. And all of the many burdens Dads carry inside.

This is the message of Easter. Grace. Given to Dads. Moms. And our children. At any time. Through the Resurrection. Enabling a profound sense of peace. Joy. And hope. Despite all the chaos and contentiousness of this world.

A message any Dad can choose to believe. Or not. To teach the kids. Or not. It’s entirely up to us.

Easter Sunday. A celebration of the miraculous. Along with the Peeps. Of course.

Go, Dads. Go.