Ken Davis writes about a woman who looked out of her window and saw her German shepherd shaking the life out of a neighbor's rabbit. Her family did not get along well with these neighbors, so this was going to be like a disaster.

She grabbed a broom, pummeled the dog until it dropped the now extremely dead rabbit out of its mouth. She panicked. She did not know what else to do. She grabbed the rabbit, took it inside, gave it a bath, blow-dried it to its original fluffiness, combed it until that rabbit was looking good, snuck into the neighbor's yard, and propped the rabbit back up in its cage. An hour later she heard screams coming from next door. She asked her neighbor, "What's going on?" "Our rabbit! Our rabbit!" her neighbor cried. "He died two weeks ago. We buried him, and now he's back!"

Too often, though, we think we have to give this resurrection story a bath, blow-dry the unbelievable away, and comb it so that there will be no tangles or disheveled look around it. Resurrection is a matter of faith in the One who promised that neither death nor life could separate us from the love of God. 

Well, no one grabbed Jesus out of the grave, and no one was shaking him awake, He came out on His own accord. He came forth to give you and me a hope beyond hope, that death has no hold on God's own Son or on God's own people. We were already blessed, because sin had been conquered at the cross and now death, the enemy's most hateful weapon, was also conquered. We became, in a matter of 3 days, Easter people! 

Easter is and never will be a Hallmark Day. While we symbolically celebrate it with a bunny and eggs and hope that our children will gain understanding from such, we must never forget that it is more than a symbol; it is our faith. We must tell the story over and over and not just during Lent or Eastertide. We must tell the story and live the life that has been gifted to us by Jesus Christ our Risen Savior and Lord.

Being Easter people is a joy and a responsibility. Let us serve as those called by God with such joy and such responsibility as we minister to those whose spiritual lives have been placed in our care for this season.  I pray you will rest and find strength for the new day... for the Easter life that is before you. There are many to share with and many to resurrect from the death of this world. No fear but only joy for our sisters and brothers who find the tomb empty.

You are loved and you are precious to me,

Dana 

The illustration comes from a sermon preached by John Ortberg and was posted on Preaching Today