THE ‘BIG’ STORY OF EASTER
We all love stories, particularly those stories that have a happy ending. There are fiction and nonfiction stories. Fiction stories may reflect many ‘true’ things but ultimately the storyline originated in the mind of an author and the story did not actually happen in history. Nonfiction stories, however, are stories that originated in the course of history, with real people and real events. Personally, I love a good story whether it is fiction or nonfiction but it is always good to know if the story is based upon ‘true’ events or originated in the creative mind of a writer.
Sometimes, the distinction between fiction and nonfiction seems obvious. The story of The Three Little Pigs involves three pigs talking and a big bad wolf who blows over houses by his amazingly strong breath. Certainly, this is fiction for I do not believe pigs nor wolves can talk. Nonfiction stories are not as easy to recognize because it is possible to create a story using seemingly ‘real’ people and events. The story of Anne Frank is one example of a nonfiction, real story, of a real person, in real history. Yet, how do we interpret stories that seem to ‘mix’ elements of nonfiction with fiction?
The story of Easter, for many people, is simply a fable; a fictional story that was made up and passed through history. For others, Easter is nonfiction and historical; so much so that there is no possibility that anything ‘miraculous’ could have ever happened. Just as I said before, I believe the story of The Three Little Pigs is fiction because pigs and wolves do not talk. Likewise, some say of Easter, “It must be nonfiction because someone rises from the dead and that just does not happen in real life.”
While many have tried to make Easter about bunnies and eggs, the story of Easter according to the Bible is very unique; so much so, that is seems to mix both nonfiction and fiction together. Interestingly, though the story of Easter may seem like a fable to some, and simply a story devoid of miracles to others, the Bible claims the story really is true and took place in history. This is why the story of Easter is so amazing when it comes to ‘stories’ because it combines the captivating elements of fables with the reality of history and claims the whole story actually took place in space and time. So, what is the ‘big’ story of Easter? Let me tell you.
THE STORY OF EASTER
The story of Easter starts with the creation of the world and with God. God made the world and he made it beautiful and free from evil. He made people good and they were made to reflect God’s creative image. Yet, something ‘bad’ distorted God’s good world and that ‘thing’ is called ‘sin.’ Sin, through the influence of a fallen angel called Satan, led people astray from living by God’s good commands. Adam and Eve, humanity’s father and mother, made a choice to turn their back on God and to be their own ‘god’. As a result, sin and Satan ravaged the world, destroying and marring God’s goodness. Sin also destroyed the good hearts of humans, causing them to continually desire evil (Genesis 1-3; 6:5, Romans 8:20-23, Matthew 15:8-11).
As time moved forward, God’s goodness and mercy were intertwined with the evil and destruction of sin. Adam and Eve took joy in their work on earth and had children but their children murdered each other. There was so much evil on earth, God almost destroyed all people through a world-wide flood but God loved people and saved the family of a man called Noah. Noah built a big boat called an ‘ark’ and his family restarted a new generation of humanity that would love and obey their Creator. Yet, not much time had progressed before Noah’s children and grandchildren too began to love sin more than God (Genesis 4:8; 6-9, Matthew 24:36-44).
God then choose to bless a man named Abraham, who had children who created the nation of Israel. Israel was to love God and to hate sin but after a while, they too began to disobey God’s commandments. God, in his love and mercy, decided that he would do something unique, something different, something amazing. He decided to send his Son into the world to rescue not only Israel, but the whole world from their sin and to give them a new heart that would love God. At just the right time in history, this is exactly what God did; he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world on a rescue mission to save humanity from the destruction of sin and Satan (Genesis 12, 15,17; Deuteronomy 7:6-16, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Luke 19:10, John 3:16, Romans 8:3-4, Hebrews 2:14).
As the Son of God, Jesus lived the perfect human life. He did not sin and he kept all of his Father’s commandments. Jesus did what Adam failed to do. Yet, all of the sin of humanity from the time of Adam until today had to be punished because God is a good Judge. A good Judge cannot allow injustice and breaking of the law to go unpunished, even in the act of forgiveness. Though Jesus was innocent and sinless, out of love, Jesus decided to take the punishment that humans deserved by dying on the cross. On the cross, God the Father poured out his anger toward humanity’s sin on Jesus and Jesus, like a dry sponge in water, absorbed God’s holy wrath against sin. Jesus died.
Three days later after Jesus died, he rose from the dead and he is still alive today! Easter is a celebration that Jesus rose from the dead! Jesus defeated the progression and power of sin. Jesus defeated the archenemy, Satan. Jesus defeated death. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus promises that anyone who believes that he is God, who stops loving and following their sin, and follows him as their King will be forgiven of their sin. Though sin has ravaged each of our lives, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Jesus asks each person, “Do you believe this?” (John 11: 26). Read more of the Easter story in Mark 14-16.
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