1 John 4:4 – You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
After accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord we attended a church in a very cool building. Not modern, but very cool, lots of hidden passages and rooms. Afterward it was found out that the building, long before the church was established, had been used by the KKK. The thought of the KKK meeting in the same building so many years before was quite repulsive. At first thought it would be easy to think how could a church gather to worship Jesus in a building where formerly evil would gather? After talking to elders and praying about it, I began to think that the comparison of the dark history of the building versus what it was now being used for was really quite beautiful! It would have been best if the KKK had never existed anywhere, but it had. This building had been polluted by them. It can bring shivers to think of the evil spirits that once called this building home. Yet, in an open display of light overcoming darkness and love being greater than hate, the building became occupied by saints who loved Jesus Christ. The former evil use was replaced by the incomparable good of God. Anyone who loves God will celebrate that what was once a place where evil was propagated had become a place where God’s love was now present. The evil spirits gone. All people of every race had become welcome. What evil used for bad God now used for God. Yet another win for God!
All of us were sinners, all of us were enemies of God, but Jesus came from Heaven to be miraculously born of a virgin woman to save us (Romans 5:8, 10, Colossians 1:21). He came knowing that He would be tortured and die an excruciating death. Knowing what He must go through He still stepped down from His throne beside the Father and came to redeem what only He could redeem (Philippians 2:8-11). He redeemed us. Our spirits were housed in a body of corrupted flesh that had become the soil of evil desires. Our spirits had become housed in a body that was filled with, and lusted after filthy desires (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-18). Our spirits were trapped with no hope of escape. But God loved His creation too much to leave it in that situation. He knew that we could not save ourselves (Matthew 19:25-26), so He Himself came to save, to suffer and die for us. He appeared in the form of man to eventually die a most horrible death. He redeemed our souls from a house of death (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21). When we became born from above (John 3:3) by submitting to Jesus as Savior and Lord then our souls were freed from the curse brought on by Adam and Eve. He instantly freed our souls to be one with God (1 Corinthians 6:17) and began cleaning up the temporary housing we lived in. In an open display of light overcoming darkness and love being greater than hate, we became occupied by the Holy Spirit of God. Our spirits became instantly cleaned, all our evil vanquished, and no stain of sin upon us (Isaiah 1:18). As saints who love Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we have been washed clean. What was once a dirty soul housed in a dirty body was then cleansed. The Light of the World had overcome the darkness of the world and the flesh. The love of God had overcome the one who hates us and who seeks to destroy us.
The truth of the story is that God can change the use of any building, any day, and any person to use for His glory. Peter and the Apostles had to learn that lesson (Acts 10:1-45). They learned that the once unclean pagan could be cleaned to be used of God. The Lord called the murderous Saul to become Paul to become His apostle and to write most of the New Testament (Acts 9). Let’s remember that God can change anything, any building, any man or any date, to be used for His purpose. Who is any man to say what God will do or not do? He is sovereign and He answers to no man. So yes, the name Easter does not have holy roots, but rather pagan roots. Yet now it is mostly known as the day to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Isn’t that a glorious thing that a name that was used for evil is now a name to celebrate the resurrection of the Savior of the world? Yes, it is more accurately called Resurrection Day. So the day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus was given an unfortunate name by men who meant well but who unfortunately chose a pagan name acknowledge the greatest event. Today many have an understandable distaste for the name Easter. However as Paul learned, and so stated, we believers should not let any person judge us what day we consider holy (Colossians 2:16-17). Let us also not fight over what we call the day commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. To fight over such things is to disregard the highest laws of love (Mark 12:30-31). The one who celebrates the day’s name as “Resurrection Day” should not condemn the one who calls the day Easter. Are we not all the family of God? Does such public quarrelling really show that we are disciples of Christ who love each other? (John 13:35) Does bickering over name display a difference from the ways of the world or instead a likeness to it? All who think themselves superior, on either side, should examine their level of pride (Matthew 23:12). We understand that the point is not whether a believer celebrates the resurrection of Jesus by one name or another, but that the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated. As Shakespeare wrote “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In the Bible Jesus is called by many names and it does not matter which true name references Him, it matters that the person of Jesus and the works that He did be honored and cherished. Besides, those who love the Lord know that it is not the name by which we refer to this Holy day that is most important, it is in the cherishing, celebrating and proclaiming of the resurrection of Jesus every day. Besides how does it glorify the Lord to fight with one or another over such a thing? So Family and Friends, I wish to all of you, whether one calls the day “Resurrection Day” or “Easter” may the meaning of the day, and the power of it, be full in our lives and enrichening to us, as is the intent of God.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”