When people think of Easter, they tend to think of the Easter bunny, egg hunts, decorating eggs, and Easter baskets. Kids especially think of these things, I mean, because it is Easter, and that’s all the fun parts! Many of us tend to forget about the real reason Easter is a thing. Kind of like Christmas. We get so focused on the fun parts that we forget about the true meaning.
For those who don’t know the true meaning of Easter. Easter is celebrated to remember the resurrection of Jesus. Easter celebrates the defeat of death and the hope of salvation. Jesus died on the cross for us and died a death we should have died. He then rose three days later. In the book of John in the Bible, Jesus basically foreshadows this situation. In John 2:19, Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” In this verse, Jesus is not talking about the literal temple; he is referring to himself. His body is a temple, and if you destroy it, he will rise three days later.
There are many traditions that families who believe in the true meaning of Easter celebrate. Here are some great ideas that maybe you can add to your Easter tradition. Firstly, many do a Holy Week. This consists of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday (Easter Eve), and Resurrection Sunday (Easter).
On Palm Sunday, many reflect on when Jesus was welcomed in Jerusalem and was greeted with people waving palm branches. Many celebrate this day as a reminder to welcome Jesus into their hearts and follow him.
On Maundy Thursday, this is the day that Jesus ate a Passover meal with his disciples. This is the evening of the Last Supper. This is where Jesus told his followers to remember what he had done by taking the bread and cup. This represents the blood of Jesus on the cross, and the bread represents the body of Jesus that ended up broken for us. This day is also when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. This reminds us to love one another and gives us an example of how we should treat each other.
On Good Friday, this is the day when Jesus was put on trial, crucified, and then killed on the cross. Many struggle to think of this day as good, and they question why it is considered “Good Friday” if it was the day Jesus died. It is called Good Friday because without Jesus dying on the cross, we wouldn’t have a chance to be saved, and he would have never been raised back to life. Many reflect on how Jesus died for their sins on this day. This also includes services that have songs, Thanksgiving prayers, and some even fast on Good Friday.
On Holy Saturday, which is Easter Eve, this was the first day Jesus’s body lay in the tomb. On this day, his followers were mourning his death. On this day, many will do things like light candles to remember that Jesus is the light of the world. He conquered death and the darkness of evil.
Lastly, Resurrection Sunday; this day is also known as Easter. Resurrection Sunday is the day that Jesus was resurrected. This day is a celebration of how Jesus was raised back to life. On this day, it is explained in the Bible that early in the morning, many women went to Jesus’s tomb and found that the stone was rolled away and Jesus was no longer in the tomb. After this discovery, an angel explained, “Do not be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.” This is all said in Matthew 28:5–6. On this day, many people celebrate in many different ways. Churches hold a special Easter service. Some have early sunrise services. Some families have Easter hunts and do much more to celebrate this day.
These are some great ways that people celebrate what happened the week of Easter. If you are religious, it is great to apply these things to your life to grow stronger in your faith. Always remind yourself, friends, and family of the true meaning of Easter. While the fun parts are really enjoyable, we can’t let ourselves get caught up in them and forget about the true meaning.
