If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him. If you cry with Him, you will have joy with Him. If you die with Him on the Cross of tribulation, you will possess the eternal dwelling place in the splendor of the saints. And your name, written in the Book of Life, will be glorious among men.
–Saint Clare of Assisi

It seems like society never misses an opportunity to secularize religious holidays. Think Santa, the Grinch, and the gifts we lavish on one another at Christmas. And now, bunny rabbits, colored eggs, and baskets of chocolates and candies.

I’m all for having fun, and don’t want to cast dispersions on such celebrations . . . as long as we don’t overlook the real reasons for the seasons.

To you who do not follow Christ, this post may seen a bit heavy-handed, but it speaks to the importance of the week. I pray you’ll keep reading.

For Christians, we’re in the middle of what we call Holy Week–Palm Sunday to Easter. It’s the week we honor Jesus’ final journey into Jerusalem for the Last Supper, his betrayal by some of those closest to him, a rigged trial, his crucifixion, and then, praise God, his resurrection.

To quote Max Lucado, “He (Jesus) transformed the tomb into a womb, out of which was born life–your life.”
That’s why we honor the week.

Actually, on the liturgical calendar, we designate the forty days leading to Easter as Lent, recognizing the forty days Jesus spent alone in the desert . . . well, except for the presence of a nefarious Satan.

Traditionally, during Lent, believers give up something. To an onlooker, it may seem trivial. No chocolate, or alcohol, or peanut butter (No! Please don’t ask me to give up peanut butter!) for forty days? Big deal. But it’s not what we give up that matters. It’s the seemingly simple act of spiritual discipline we impose on ourselves. By doing so, we honor Jesus’ refusal to cave to Satan’s temptations. Not that our discipline in any way matches his.

We believe that Jesus’ death on that wooden cross redeemed us of our sins. The slate was wiped clean–our shameful lives were sanctified. Then, through his resurrection, all of the Old Testament’s prophecies and the New Testament’s teachings were verified. And the promise of eternal life was fulfilled.

As it is said, the New Testament in the Old Testament is concealed; the Old Testament in the New Testament is revealed.

So, this week, enjoy the egg coloring, the Easter egg hunts, the bunny rabbits, and the Easter baskets. And hang in there with your Lenten discipline–only five more days of sacrifice to go!

But keep your eye on the cross. For it was on that cross that the real sacrifice was made. And for that, we’ll be eternally grateful.