Easter is over. So now what? Bunnies have hopped away, the chocolate has melted, pageant practice is over, and the empty tomb has been put back in storage. So now what?

What I have always found interesting (and I am guilty of this myself) is that the sadness felt the week after Christmas is very rarely repeated the week after Easter. Why is that? There aren’t as many warm fuzzies at Easter (okay, rabbits, but you know what I’m saying) and the “spirit” isn’t as merry and fun. I get that…but why? Could it be that we prefer the baby Jesus over the resurrected one?

You all know my feelings on Christmas, so I won’t repeat them here (hint: it’s GREAT!), but what Easter represents is so much more exciting than Christmas. Easter is the celebration of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead! Do you know what the means?! That’s where salvation comes from! That’s why our eternity is secure! That’s why we will see so many loved ones again! That’s why….everything!!   And yet, we so often forget to celebrate this properly…the most significant day…ever.

Whose fault is that? At Christmastime, we like to blame the world for people not remembering Jesus. But how come no one goes around saying “Put Christ back in Easter?” Maybe because it’s our fault. Maybe because, as Christians, we are the ones who have forgotten to keep Him around.

Now I know what you’re saying: “That’s ridiculous! Christians celebrate Jesus at Easter! That’s what we do!” Okay, sure, we do sing “He Lives” and put on a little play and talk about the cross standing behind some lilies. But for a day…a weekend…a week. Is that all the resurrection of Jesus gets? A week?

See, that’s what I think the problem is. We go gung-ho for a week, but with almost nothing before and nothing after. Easter is not just a week long celebration…it’s forever. This is the good news that we should proclaim! Not for a week, for every day! Instead, most Christians celebrate for a short time, put the tomb back in storage, and then go back to Bible studies about learning how to stop complaining.

Huh?

Maybe if we remembered our salvation more often, we would stop complaining more naturally.

Yes, Bible studies on different topics are important. Yes, we need to learn and grow in various ways. I’m not saying don’t do those things. What I am saying is: Don’t put the tomb in storage. Leave it out! Look at it every day! Remember that today is the day of salvation! Keep the Christ in Easter. Keep the Easter in the year! Be in awe every day that Jesus saved you. Be like the disciples, when they realized that the tomb was empty…dedicate your life to it…every second of it.

If we live like that…well…I, for one, can’t wait to see what we can do.