My first memories of Easter are from preschool; we learned a sweet song about a funny rabbit to sing for our parents. Later, at Sunday school, when we watched movies about Jesus’ life, crucifixion, and resurrection, I always covered my eyes during the crucifixion scene. It made me weep, and I didn’t understand why it had to be that way.
When I was 18, I had a personal encounter with Jesus, and I began to study the Gospels. With the help of teachers and the Holy Spirit, many truths about life started to make sense, and the hope that I would someday go to a wonderful place called heaven to be with my heavenly Father forever began to heal my broken heart and fill me with faith and purpose. Eventually I married, had children, and dedicated time to serving God and telling others about Jesus.
About 15 years ago, I went to the 6:00 a.m. Easter service at my local church. The church was packed, and after the band sang a couple of songs, a young 13-year-old girl sang a solo about the crucifixion. It described step by step the unfair trial given to Jesus and His walk down the Via Dolorosa. After each set of verses, the refrain said:
“You did it all for me, Lord; You did it all for me!”
Soon, tears started flowing down my cheeks in a way I couldn’t control. But this time they were not tears of sadness, but tears of gratitude. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for what my Savior endured for me!
I finally understood, there and then, the fullness of the meaning of Easter. It is the sound of resurrection, the sound of rebirth, the sound of victory. Of winter that always turns into spring. Of how God is able to take even the most horrible thing that ever happened and turn it into the most wonderful thing for all mankind! And, in a broader way, of how He can take a broken life and remake it and restore it into a marvelous thing!