Why Easter still matters, and learning from the squabble of 195AD

Easter is a special time, but the main point can sometimes get forgotten. Photo / 123rf

Opinion

The small town I grew up in was positioned next to a lake.

Given there wasn’t much to do in Waihola, school excursions generally involved activities on that lake. The main one being sailing.

We’d be given a few pointers from the instructor, then head off on small sailboats.

The thing I recall most vividly is being hit in the head by the boom, as the sail swung around in the wind. Sometimes, I’d be knocked into the water.

It seemed to happen to me more than the other kids.

Looking back, I must have missed the instructor’s main points, or forgotten them in the thick of the activity.

This weekend marks Easter, the most significant annual celebration for Christians.

It is a special time, but one where the main point can sometimes get lost or forgotten.

In one such instance, around 195AD, there was a squabble over when Easter should be celebrated.

A church leader, Victor, wanted all churches to be on the same page and celebrate Easter on a Sunday every year (as Jesus rose on “the first day of the week” according to the Bible).

The problem was that churches in the east of the Roman empire (think modern-day Turkey, Syria and Greece) celebrated Easter on whichever day of the week it fell on the calendar.

Victor eventually tried to exclude those churches entirely (excommunicate them) over the difference.

Looking back, the main point of Easter appeared to get lost during that squabble or, at least, distracted from.

Nowadays, not much has changed.

The topic of dates doesn’t come up often, but things like Easter eggs, organising gatherings, and making the most of days off work consume most people’s attention.

But most importantly, Easter provides a good opportunity, whether you are a Christian or not, to stop and ask “why did Jesus die?”

According to the Bible, he went willingly to that dreadful cross, despite being innocent of any crime.

That in itself is worth pondering.

Jesus said, of himself, that he “came not to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many”.

In other words, he died to pay a punishment we deserve before rising again, according to the Bible.

That leads to a trickier question: why does it matter for me? What wrong have I done to require Jesus to take my place as a saviour?

If you are asking that question, then you certainly haven’t missed the main point of Easter. You are at the very heart of it.

Churches across the region will hold Easter Sunday services to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, and would love to have visitors along.

Search your local church online or check their billboard to see when they start (probably 10am).

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter and a Christian.