“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

My father was employed for over 40 years by the Railroad and as I recalled it was owned by Atlantic Coastline, Seaboard Coastline which eventually changed to what today in known as Amtrak. He traveled all those years from Jacksonville to New York to Miami and back home. He was a waiter and my sister Louise often say he walked all those miles for my mom and all five of us. I lovingly remember on Easter Sunday morning, that his baby (that is me) had the biggest and prettiest easter basket in Antioch Baptist Church and it came all the way from New York!

We grew up, as many of us did celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord  and Savior, Jesus Christ on Easter; and for some that was and still is the only time that they come and worship and hear of the amazing gift of God given to us through His only begotten Son “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

So, what is the truth about Easter and its relationship to Christ? First, let us understand what truth is… then we can put it all in perspective. The word of God state “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6. Jesus is truth…and knowing Him in the pardon of our sins, that through Him righteousness was imputed to us lost sinners, reconciling us back to God and giving us the gift of eternal life is truth.

Easter is only mention in the bible once and it was a pagan celebration occurring during the springtime and the persecution of Christians was running rampage; Herod had Peter captured to kill him as he had done James the brother of John. “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” Acts 12:4.

Down through the centuries Christians have adopted the word Easter to be associated with the new birth that we receive from our Lord and Savior; and it was at that time that He was crucified on the cross. So, why is any of this important…we need to know what we believe and why. It is truth that Easter was a pagan celebrated holiday about a fertility goddess, it is truth that Jesus was arrested and led down The Via Dolorosa to His crucifixion one Friday afternoon and died on that old, rugged cross…and early on the third day morning He got up with all power in His hands!

As a Christian we commemorate His death, burial and resurrection during this time and every day of our lives. Without His victory over death there would be no resurrection from the dead…But by God’s amazing grace alone, He suffered, bled, and died…but praise God He got up and lives forevermore. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

So, while the world capitalizes on the sale of Easter bunnies, new clothes and colored eggs; do not get caught up in the world’s ideology of it all, Christians are not pagan and we are not Jewish, but by the unconditional love of God we have been grafted into His family as beloved children… and may God open His truth to the eyes of those who are lost in their sins to come to the true light and only way to salvation and that is Jesus!

Let us come to worship, and lift our voices in praise this Sunday and every day. . . because our Savior lives and because He lives, we can live with Him one day throughout eternity!

To God be the glory!