Who is Easter for?

I have been an ordained Baptist Minister for over 30 years. I have learnt a few things over those years (I would be worried if I hadn’t). I am a different minister today from the rookie who emerged blinking into the daylight of local church life from the low-light environment of a theological training college.

My first church as a Minister was in a town in Sussex. Every year hundreds of people from churches across the town walk from their Good Friday services to gather at the bandstand in the town centre for a unity service. It’s a moving sight (and sound because for the most part the processions are silent) as people stream into the market square from the many different entrance points.

The service is intended to be reflective and focus particularly on the events of Good Friday.

One year I was asked to lead the service. I was asked to prepare it and lead it with young people drawn from across the churches. We worked together to create what I felt was a sensitive and reflective service on the events of Good Friday. The young people came up with some really good ideas and led the service well.

But in our preparation we reached a point where we weren’t sure what to do. This was a public service. People would be watching and listening who otherwise would not be going to a church service over Easter. The young people felt we couldn’t end the service with Jesus laid in the tomb: we had to finish with his resurrection. I completely agreed with them.

So that’s what we did. After a suitable period of silence as the darkness of Good Friday weighed heavy on us all we led the singing of a resurrection hymn and proclaimed that Easter Sunday reminds us that Jesus did not stay dead, he is alive!

And some of the church leaders criticised us for not doing it properly. We shouldn’t have mentioned the resurrection: “It’s not what the service is about.”

I have pondered this many times since then. Have I learnt anything? I think the issue is in the answer to the question: who is Easter for? Is it for Christians so we can reflect, deepen our faith and live out Holy Week? Or is it for everyone and we need to tell the whole story when we have a public opportunity to do so?

Was it right that the service should end with Jesus dead and buried, because the Christians knew it wasn’t the end and Easter Sunday is coming? Or should it have been a service for everyone, and the importance of declaring that Jesus is alive at the end was more important than doing it ‘properly’ for the Christians?

I still think the young people were right.

Be blessed, be a blessing