Journey's...end...in view...#9

Years ago, someone asked if my son's Christian school does anything special for Easter. 

Anything special? My initial response was to remind her to live Easter each day. But then, it made me think.

I have certainly seen some Easter specials in my life -

As a growing child, I had collected Easter eggs home to add to the family meal...and try to tell my mom about the good news of new life...

As a rookie pastor, I had my little church put out lilies, serve out eggs and pancakes...sing and tell stories... while I preached a fiery message of new possibilities...

As a visitor to one of America's largest churches, I had seen a pageant complete with an angel suspended by high wire, real horses and a camel…

What is the big deal about Easter? Why am I even talking about it?

Because when we began, our goal was to drink in order to get to this: transformation. And the Resurrection shows us what transformation looks like! 

That is right, we were not drinking to get by. We are drinking to get somewhere. We are headed towards a vision God himself has etched within our souls, and we will not turn back until we reach it. 

Friends, we have found on this journey how great our thirst is! Thankfully, we have also found that the Well has not run dry.

Yet as I ponder her question: 'Are you doing anything special for Easter?', I must say that for most of us, Easter is a time for the church to do something for us - remind us of great glorious truths, roll out some higher-than-usual octane programs... pretti-fy the church with larger than usual blooms... and this only goes to prove one thing: Christians are in danger of no longer knowing the big deal that is Easter.

After all -

We skim meaning while we store up material goods.

We seek relief rather than learn the rhythms of rest.

We settle for vague improvements instead of hunger for sorting-our-life-out according to God's Word.

We strain for spiritual 'highs' and remain blind to a sibling, parent or a neighbour needing a clear picture of God's love.

These patterns of life does not predispose us to obey this simple word:

Remember Jesus Christ, 

risen from the dead, 

the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel

~ 2 Timothy 2v8

How much, how often, how well, do -- we -- Remember?

And what are we to remember?

Jesus rose from the dead.

In case we forget in our busy 365 days, the church has an entire season called Lent that culminates in Easter to help us remember (which we are partaking in!)

And guess what, the way we live grows out of what we remember. We try to recreate good experiences, and we seek to avoid what we recall as bad ones…

What is it you remember? 

What is it you store in your heart and mind?

The next few days, ask the God of memories to show you what you remember, and perhaps what you need to forget.

Luke Miller, Unsplash

And above all, ask God to help you remember who Jesus is, to know that his journey took him through a valley, and to a Cross; and then it was quiet in a tomb -- before --  the Resurrection. 

And precisely life will require us to enter some deep scary vales and we may feel like everything died. But true life never dies. Indeed, we have to let go of what is less true, real, good, so that Life can burst forth.

And this journey, one we take with each other and Jesus at the centre - because He is alive, real, present, resurrected - it will lead you to come alive, resurrect!

Drink today dear friend, the journey continues. 

This is a Lent series we are doing from 18 Feb to 4 April 2026….join us at any point in the journey…