Friday, April 6, 2007 at 2:02am
Why should we go to church on Easter?
Column: For His Glory
What are you doing this Easter Sunday? For many, that answer is simple: "I will be at church." But why? Why do we go to church this Sunday? Why is Easter Sunday one of the most attended worship services of the year?
Many people like to see the studio-like production that some of these mega-churches produce. Something about the crucifixion of Jesus titillates the imagination of some. Still others just want to bask in the knowledge that someone was willing to stand in their place and die for their crimes. After all, they figure, for one day in the year I can repent, pay my respects and then continue on with my life. Easter has become to some a religious "spring cleaning" — come in, get clean and come back next year.
How sad it is that we have reduced religion to another area of our life, instead of letting religion completely engulf us. We have complicated religion and need to get back to a simpler time in our life, when we remember life having meaning and when Resurrection weekend was a strong part of that.
A simpler time included the realization that you occasionally lied, lusted after others, coveted and became angry with others needlessly. All this made you a liar, an adulterer — pick your poison — but in this simpler time you realized that you were a sinner. Why do I say you came to this realization during a simpler time? Because back then you recognized your need for a savior and the resurrection of Christ had meaning. Nowadays, plenty of people take resurrection weekend as a good time to catch up with "some folk." How sad!
The reason we celebrate Easter is because Jesus Christ rose from the grave in order to complete the work He did at the cross. "He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God" (Romans 4:25). The resurrection is the key to our happiness. You have immense value to God, even if you do not think you do. Think about it — the person who created you decided that in order to save your life, He would exchange His for yours! No other leader in the world would do that for you. No other religion tells of a God who will descend from His exalted throne to exchange places so that you may be happy. Jesus did all of this for you because you are worth the life of God, and the resurrection proves it. God raised Jesus from the dead, and this fact assures you that, whether you are alive or dead at His second coming, if you have accepted Him, you will live forever in heaven.
The heart of the gospel is simple, and we need to go back to keeping religion simple. I know that, because I once was lost and did not know it, but now I am found by Jesus. I deserved death but Jesus gave me life, and that is why we celebrate.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
Many people like to see the studio-like production that some of these mega-churches produce. Something about the crucifixion of Jesus titillates the imagination of some. Still others just want to bask in the knowledge that someone was willing to stand in their place and die for their crimes. After all, they figure, for one day in the year I can repent, pay my respects and then continue on with my life. Easter has become to some a religious "spring cleaning" — come in, get clean and come back next year.
How sad it is that we have reduced religion to another area of our life, instead of letting religion completely engulf us. We have complicated religion and need to get back to a simpler time in our life, when we remember life having meaning and when Resurrection weekend was a strong part of that.
A simpler time included the realization that you occasionally lied, lusted after others, coveted and became angry with others needlessly. All this made you a liar, an adulterer — pick your poison — but in this simpler time you realized that you were a sinner. Why do I say you came to this realization during a simpler time? Because back then you recognized your need for a savior and the resurrection of Christ had meaning. Nowadays, plenty of people take resurrection weekend as a good time to catch up with "some folk." How sad!
The reason we celebrate Easter is because Jesus Christ rose from the grave in order to complete the work He did at the cross. "He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God" (Romans 4:25). The resurrection is the key to our happiness. You have immense value to God, even if you do not think you do. Think about it — the person who created you decided that in order to save your life, He would exchange His for yours! No other leader in the world would do that for you. No other religion tells of a God who will descend from His exalted throne to exchange places so that you may be happy. Jesus did all of this for you because you are worth the life of God, and the resurrection proves it. God raised Jesus from the dead, and this fact assures you that, whether you are alive or dead at His second coming, if you have accepted Him, you will live forever in heaven.
The heart of the gospel is simple, and we need to go back to keeping religion simple. I know that, because I once was lost and did not know it, but now I am found by Jesus. I deserved death but Jesus gave me life, and that is why we celebrate.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.