Easter 2017

Easter 2017

Susan Talley

What does Easter mean to me?

If I was a reporter, going around the world, asking individuals of different backgrounds and ages, what does Easter mean to you, what would be their response?

Some would say they don’t know who this Jesus is.  Some would say that the stories were out there, but they are made up to make us feel better, to feel some hope in our life.  Others would say there is no Jesus.  Our Christian world would tell you it is one of the holiest days of the year.

Our children might say Easter is about candy, Easter bunnies, and a new outfit for Church.

When our granddaughter, Sarah, was about 2-1/2 years old I was visiting her family.  They had a picture of Jesus hanging in their home.  Whenever I would ask her, “Who is that?”, she would respond, “That is Jesus Christ.”  That Sunday, we attended Church and as the sacrament was being prepared, she looked at me with sad eyes and said, “Jesus Christ died!”  She had been asking her parents about why we take the sacrament.  As they taught her, she was fixed on the message of His death and missed the most important lesson.  She has continued to learn that He indeed died, but that he was resurrected and is now very much alive!

I now am serving in our ward’s nursery.  I love those cute, lovable, energetic children of God, children of families here in our ward.  Today our lesson in Nursery is that Jesus was resurrected and so we will be resurrected after we die.  That is one simple message of Easter.  Our lessons last for 5 minutes if we are lucky.  My desire each Sunday is that they receive one tiny bit of gospel teaching.  If it is longer than that, I lose them completely.

 I remember Easter as a young child.  We would wake up in the morning to find a small basket of Easter candy and a new dress.  But even back then, I knew that Easter was about Jesus Christ.  My father made sure that we knew the meaning of Easter.  When I was younger than some of my nursery children I lost my mother.   My father helped us kids to understand that even though we won’t see her again on this side of the vail, we WILL see her again, because Christ prepared that path and led the way to that new life.

Since those early days, I have continued to learn line upon line, precept upon precept, more about the importance of Easter.  I am sure in the coming years my understanding will continue to increase if I will put effort into learning more about the life of the Savior.  I would like to share a few of those teachings I’ve learned.

On Thursday evening of that week, we know that Christ met with His apostles for the Passover dinner.  One of the events that took place then, continues today.  Christ instituted the sacrament, closing out the Law of Moses, having the people perform blood sacrifices pointing to His coming; and bringing us to the broken heart and contrite spirit to help us show our gratitude for His great gift and our commitment to Him.  I am so grateful that we have the opportunity each Sunday to recommit ourselves to being His followers, to be able to repent and have those sins wiped off our record.

After the Last Supper He went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed to the Father and took upon Himself the sins, pains, trials, and temptations of each of us.  When I look at the pictures that have been painted to represent Christ at this time, He always seems so serene.  I have seen more recent paintings which show Him prostrate on the ground, clutching at the earth, obviously in great agony.  Though I’ve always liked the pictures of Him peacefully praying, I can’t help but wonder what He suffered.  There is no way I can ever thank Him adequately for what He did for me, how many of those stripes were for me.  Then to think of what He has done for my family, for all of you, for everyone.

A series of events took place as He was leaving the Garden.  He was betrayed, arrested, tried, and ultimately sentenced to death.  During this time, He was degraded in some awful ways.  The thought of being spit upon, slapped, and being found guilty of crimes that He was innocent of is something that would be very difficult for me to stand quietly and take.  Our society today seems to allow for more volatile reactions to such behaviors.  What an example of patience He is to me who struggles constantly with my impatience.

After having been beaten and humiliated, even more humiliation was put upon Him.  Crowning Him King of the Jews by placing a crown of thorns upon His head mocking Him, they made Him carry His cross toward the hill where He would be hung.  That added weight to an already weak and hurting body continuing the humiliation until someone stepped in to help by carrying His cross.

He was hung between two common criminals, two thieves.  He continued to suffer on the cross, not for any wrong He had committed, but for us and our sins.  At one point, He was suffering almost more than He could bear.  He asked His Father, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Can you imagine what our Father must have been feeling at this time?  I read a statement by Elder Melvin J. Ballard which has stuck with me.  He stated, (quote) “In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even He could not endure it any longer, and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child and has to be taken out of the room so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed His head and hid in some part of His universe.  His great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for His Son.  Oh, in that moment when He might have saved His son, I thank Him and praise Him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of His Son in mind, but He also had love for us.  I rejoice that He did not interfere, and that His love for us made it possible for Him to endure to look upon the suffering of His Son and give Him to us, our Savior and our Redeemer.  Without Him, and without His sacrifice, we would have [been buried in the earth and there our bodies would have] remained, and we would never have come glorified into His presence.  And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of His Son unto men.” (end quote) (Crusader for Righteousness {Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1966], p. 137.

On that Easter morn, when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the sepulcher to anoint His lifeless body with oil, we know that they found the stone rolled away and that the tomb no longer held His body.  An angel sitting inside told them that He has risen!  The sweetest message they heard that day and that we continue to hear today, He is risen! He alone atoned for our sins and opened the doors to eternity, making it possible for us to live eternally too.

The complete message of the First Easter is the message we hear and know, that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the things He willingly experienced in His time; has blessed all our lives and can continue to bless our lives now and throughout all eternity.

This is not all the messages of Easter, only a partial list.  It is the parts I felt to share with you today.  I want to continue to learn about Christ and His Atonement.  This most pivotal message is the most important message of our lives.  I am so grateful to the Father and to our Savior, Jesus Christ, for allowing this atonement to take place.

Susan Talley, Binghamton Ward, April 16, 2017