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Dear readers,

Has anybody ever wished you a “Happy New Life”? Most people immediately say of course not. But upon closer inspection, wishing somebody a “Happy New Life” is the same as wishing somebody a “Happy Easter” or “Blessed Easter”. To wish someone a “Blessed Easter” is the same as saying “Enjoy Your New Life in Christ Jesus”. That is what Easter is all about. Easter is the celebration of the New Life that Jesus Christ has given to us though His resurrection. Easter is the sure hope of eternal life.

Many people believe that everyone goes to heaven. Many people believe that eternal life just happens, something like the coming of spring. Some people see Easter as the start of spring, a new beginning, a fresh start, a new life. The true hope of Easter, however, is only available to those who profess and believe in Jesus Christ.

When you come to Jesus Christ and profess Him as your Saviour, you can be assured of eternal life in heaven. And when you come to Jesus Christ and take Him as your Saviour, Jesus will begin a new life in you. The Holy Spirit will constantly be ‘spring cleaning’ your heart. God will clothe you in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

So today dear reader, may I wish you a “Happy New Life!” Come to Jesus and He will take all your burdens away this Easter. Jesus will provide you with comfort in life and in death. Walk closely with Jesus by following His Word in the Bible. Listen to the Holy Spirit and rid yourself of greed and selfishness. Look to the cross Jesus died upon and the empty tomb from which He arose as eternal comfort and you will enjoy a blessed Easter in and throughout eternity.

This Easter take some time and read Luke chapters 22 – 24 and reflect on the true meaning of Easter.

-Rev. deJong

Rev. deJong is a retired CRC minister. He resides in the Aylmer area and attends church at Aylmer Christian Reformed Chruch.

This time of year you find a lot of named dates on the calendar. “Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras” followed by “Ash Wednesday” and then the group of dates named “Lent”. Then after a few weeks more dates are marked on the calendar. “Good Friday” followed by “Easter Sunday” then “Easter Monday”. Some people just see these dates as a chance to have a good time. A good party New Orleans style or a big stack of pancakes, a chance to find chocolate and sweet things during a Easter Egg Hunt, possibly a Monday off from work. All of this excitement and good times seems like a carnival or a good show.

We should look at these dates more closely to see the true importance in some of them. Days like Fat Tuesday or the “Easter Egg Hunt Day” or the day off on Monday to “do as I please” make a lot of noise but not a lot of sense. Many people today treat these days as a carnival, a superficial event often used to cheer themselves up from the pain and sin they experience everyday in their lives.

The events that take place on the dates of Good Friday and Easter are historical facts which shed light over the shadows of death with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and Life through His Resurrection. The Christ on Good Friday died on the Cross and arose on Easter Sunday to life. He did not only die to cover all our sins. He died to also renewed us to a new life, eternal life, removing all our grief, pain and suffering. What days of celebration at Easter!

Search the internet, better yet, search the Bible for the facts of the cross of Good Friday and the Resurrection of Easter. Enjoy yourself in this Lenten season.

-Rev. deJong

Rev. deJong is a retired CRC minister. He resides in the Aylmer area and attends church at Aylmer Christian Reformed Chruch.