The Best Easter Ever

“C.S. Lewis or Tolkien?”
“That was mine, Seth, I was going to say that!”
The family was scrunched round the table for Easter dinner. The game? Pick your favorite. The cast? All of my children, my son-in-law, my future son-in-law and my two grandchildren. The guest of honor? My husband Jerry who had surprised us by coming home from work in the middle of the day.
The game took one exciting turn after another. Food and candy were consumed in abundance. We finished up the celebration by heading over to my sister’s for dessert.
The Perfect Easter.
What made this day so perfect? Was it the food, the candy, the baskets, the Easter outfits, the cantata we had attended in the morning?
No, it was none of the above.

The reason it was the best Easter ever is because we were all together as a family.
Psalm 68:6 says:
“God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity;…..”

God gives families to those who need them, those who are alone need a family, not more money, not more toys, cars, boats, etc…

God started the population of the earth with a family, Adam and Eve to whom He said, “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth…” Genesis 1:28

After Adam and Eve sinned, God promised that He would send a member of His family-His Son to die for us and become the one sacrifice that would redeem us all.

“For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9: 6

“He who did not withhold or spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?” Romans 8:32

So, here is the Easter story in a nutshell. God gave His Son so that we might become part of His family eternally. Our Father is all about family and He wants the celebration to last forever, beginning with abundant life here on this earth and leading to eternal life with Him in heaven.

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.” John 3:16

So, instead of “C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien?” the real question is “Life or death?”