Christmas Message for Easter

by Shelia Gaines

Verse for thought:  

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”    John 10:17-18 (NIV)


Last week, I heard a Christmas sermon on a radio broadcast.  Since this is the week before Easter, I wandered what was going on.  It seemed an odd time to re-broadcast a Christmas sermon.   I didn’t get it.  That is until I heard it a second time.  Toward the end of it, the pastor said, “I can’t say Merry Christmas without saying Happy Easter.  If it had not been for Christmas, we would not have Easter.”  There it was.  That one statement tied the Christmas message to Easter.  He went on to say how the two holidays are connected for us. I don’t know if the church intentionally planned it for this week, but either way, it ended up being very appropriate.

I thought about that this morning when I heard a commercial for the Easter weekend suggesting that Easter means different things to different people.  Some of the things named included comparing recipes, hunting Easter Eggs, and sitting down to dinner with the ham as the center of attention.

I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with celebrating with your family during any holiday.  I am certainly looking forward to seeing my children and grandson.  However, I don’t ever want to lose sight of what it really means.  Have a wonderful Easter weekend.  It is truly a special time.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,   Thank you the blessing of the Easter weekend.  Thank you for sending your son to die for us and for our sins.  As we enjoy this Easter weekend with family, friends and loved ones, help us to remember the sacrifice that your only son made for us and appreciate the life that we have even more.  Amen

Take the Next Step:
As you enjoy the Easter weekend, Go ahead and put on your Easter bonnet, color some eggs with the kids and eat some peeps, but  take some time to remember the sacrifice that was made for you.   Why not make a sacrifice for someone else?  Give a little extra of yourself to someone in need.