Happy Easter! He is Risen, and there is no greater truth.
As I tracked the events of Holy Week last week, there were so many details of the Easter story revealed to me which I often overlook. When I sat down to write, there were a plethora of really cool, intentional instances where God’s sovereignty and intentionality shined (I encourage you to look at each event leading up to the resurrection and relating scripture. The app “Easter Now” makes it very easy!). But, what captivated my attention most were two feasts that began following Passover: the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is representative of a “good seed,” which must die, be buried in the ground, and produce a fruitful crop. This feast directly points us to the events of Jesus’s burial and resurrection.
It began on Good Friday, the day Jesus died and was buried. It lasted two days. And then, on Sunday, the Feast of First Fruits would begin. The Easter Now site describes this feast as “acknowledging God’s faithfulness to bring in the crop.”
Little did the people of Israel know, on Sunday, God would be faithful in delivering the ultimate crop from a perfect seed. He would give us the greatest gift of all time. He would cover us in the love, grace and mercy we see poured out on the cross, for the rest of time. He would give us an opportunity to accept the Holy Spirit to walk with us forever, pruning and producing our spirits to yield His fruits.
How grateful I am for the Easter story, but most of all, I’m grateful it isn’t just a “story.” It is reality. It is salvation. It is eternity. It is magnificent and intentional, down to the details.