Easter (Noun)
The most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Christ, is celebrated between the 21st of March and the 25th of April.
Growing up, I didn’t exactly rate the Easter holiday. Maybe because it was terribly short, like a little teaser but I didn’t hate it either. I have fantastic memories of trips to the amusement park and to the beach, including sweet reminisces of delicious meals shared with family and friends.
However, is Easter just another excuse to get immersed in festivities?
Definitely not! I always knew that, but I don’t think I understood the depth of what it meant until a few years back. I really love creating playlists, so this year, I’ve made a playlist to remind myself of what Easter truly means. I’d love to share some of the songs on the playlist, and hopefully use them to tell you the most incredible love story of all time!
I’ll start our story with ‘What a Beautiful Name’ by Hillsong Worship and Brooke Ligertwood. The opening verses of this song introduce us to Jesus Christ. Many have heard that name, but not many know who He is. Well, He’s the major character of this story. Jesus, the Word at the beginning.
A little clarification before you go further. Christians believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons. There’s the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. So yeah, Jesus is God
He created the whole universe, and so we see His glory revealed each day. His beauty is seen in the people around us; His creativity, is apparent in the design of this world. Our world is His canvas.
This next song’s a classic. Travis Cotrell’s rendition of ‘In Christ Alone/ The Solid Rock’. If you grew up in church, then you probably know these two hymns. I’m especially fond of ‘In Christ Alone’!
There in the ground
His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Yes, it’s our main character- Jesus, that lies here in the grave. At this point, you must have many questions buzzing through your mind. How did the God of the universe land here, slain by darkness? My bad, I skipped to the climax of our story. But fret not, I’ll backtrack a little bit.
You see, God’s most loved creation is the human race. The only creatures made in His image! However, we strayed so far away from Him and made a mess of the world that He gave us to steward. We lie, steal, kill, and treat others poorly. We worship the created things instead of the creator! We put our hope in money and fame, giving them charge over our souls, and making gods out of them!
If you were God what would you do? Just destroy everything and show them who’s boss right? Or maybe you’d make it such that your creations had no choice but to bend to your will?
Whatever your answer to that question, the truth is that we were deserving of death, and we still are. But here’s what God did, He came down from His throne and humbly took up the flesh of His creation. He lived a life that none of us could live – a flawless life. And when it was time, he delivered himself to be tortured, ridiculed, beaten, and murdered by the very ones He came to save.
Ah! Just imagine the agony He must have felt. The jury had spoken, and we were condemned and sentenced to death. But Jesus chose to take our place instead. There’s no greater love.
Thankfully, it didn’t end there. As the profound lyrics of the hymn tell us. . .
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the dead, He rose again.
Yes, it’s true, Jesus came back to life. He lives! Our Savior lives!! I can’t contain my joy because wow! Do you have any idea of what this means for us?
From ‘My Testimony’ by Elevation Worship, we hear:
But the miracle that I just can’t get over
My name is registered in heaven.
That’s right, we know where we’re going from here. Everyone who puts their trust in. Jesus can rest assured in this truth. We are already citizens of heaven!
Very beautifully, ‘In Jesus’ Name’ by Israel & New Breed featuring DOE, captures the freedom and healing we can now walk in. Freedom from sin, trauma, addictions, and so much more. Jesus overcame the whole word for us! It’s undoubtedly my favorite song from the playlist. DOE’s voice has such a unique texture to it, and the whole thing put together fills me with such joy.
Finally, ‘Naomi Raine’s One Name (Jesus) [Live]’, gives a beautiful summary of it all. This song will have you down on your knees, worshiping the King who ransomed us; and remind you of all that His death and resurrection bought for you.
There you have it guys, the most epic love tale of a King who died to save His people. The best part is, he died for you too! There’s nothing left for you to do but to answer His call to believe in Him and accept His great love.
If you’d like to access the full playlist, it’s available here for my Apple Music users. Have a beautiful Easter!
Thank you for this, Amanda.
I’ll come back. I’ll come back and go through those songs one by one. Thank you.
I’ve told about 3 people who recently asked me how I am that I’m experiencing resurrection.
It’s true. Hallelujah!
This is simply fantastic and original. I have never experienced an article like this, laced with so much fun and music. It is a creative and irresistible way of ministering the word of God. I am going to enjoy this for a while. It is definitely not an article for one glance. Thank you Amanda and more of this please. 👍🏽 Happy Easter