IS Jesus the "Reason for the Season?"

Wait a minute, you might say to yourself....isn't that saying just for Christmas? You know, the hustle and bustle of Christmas time sometimes overshadows the actual REASON for Christmas. No, it's not just to see Santa and get presents. Christmas is celebrated because Jesus was born, hence the "Reason for the Season" tagline. But what about Easter? Perhaps you weren't aware that Jesus did, in fact, rise from the dead and THAT is the reason Easter is celebrated. Not just for the Easter Bunny and chocolate. But for that amazing fact. Romans 8:6 in the Message Translation reads:

"Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did."

Now this is a pretty long verse so I'll break it down for you. When Jesus died on the cross, He made it so death is not the end. That means that when you die, you don't just get buried in the ground or spread someone picturesque. When you die, you get to join Jesus in Heaven. That's a pretty big thought. The way to get there is to believe in your heart and say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. When Jesus comes to live in your heart, that gives YOU a safe passage-way to Heaven when you die.

This is the reason that I celebrate Easter. To celebrate the fact that Jesus is no longer dead, but that He rose and went up to Heaven so that we could have eternal life. I rejoice everyday in that fact; that I can know Jesus and have a relationship with Him because HE made it possible. I rejoice in the fact that He is alive and He made ME to have ever-lasting life because He loved me so much.