04/05/2026
Easter
Easter — a day of candy, chocolate, chicks, and colored eggs; baskets, bonnets, and bunnies; shiny shoes, frilly dresses, family, food, pastel colors, ribbons, Easter egg hunts, and lilies.
For many, Easter is a yearly pilgrimage to Grandma’s house. There, joyous family laughter and the delightful aromas of cherished memories converge in a grand celebration of heightened spirits.
For some, the celebration of Easter still carries religious overtones, acknowledging that a man called Jesus of Nazareth—who had just days earlier been executed by way of crucifixion—raised Himself from the cold grip of death and stepped outside of the tomb.
Or so the story is told…
But is it really that simple?
Oh, there are countless theories about His “resurrection.” Perhaps Jesus never truly died, but instead “swooned.” Maybe the cool, dark, damp enclosure of the tomb served to revive His beaten and bloodied body. Or maybe—just maybe—His followers, like Judas who betrayed Him, or Peter who, on three separate occasions, denied he ever knew Him, or all the others who ran and hid when Jesus was arrested—perhaps they somehow summoned the courage to overtake the Roman guards protecting the tomb, the resolve to break the Roman seal, and the strength to roll back the massive stone to remove the co**se.
Maybe…
It’s perplexing. Logic suggests that if Jesus was indeed dead, these few remaining followers—who fled from Him when He needed them most—would not concoct a risky scheme to steal His body and compromise their own safety. Had they not just witnessed Him die in agony on a Roman cross? Would they not be better off quietly returning to their previous vocations? They could simply pick up where they had left off—before following Jesus. There were still fish to catch, the sick to tend to, and taxes to collect.
They could start life over and forget about having been duped by the charlatan, Jesus.
But they didn’t.
Why?
Was it possible that their egos so overwhelmed their ability to reason that they collaboratively—even willingly—braved beatings, scourging, beheadings, and crucifixions to save face? Were their words so powerful, their delivery so polished, their persona so compelling, that they ultimately influenced countless thousands to believe their message and follow in their misguided footsteps?
Maybe…
Maybe they had no other option. Maybe following Jesus to a martyr’s death was, in their minds, their only option. Perhaps they felt they had already sealed their fate of ridicule and embarrassment. Maybe they foresaw a life of continual chiding—having left everything to follow this vagabond dreamer who now lay dead in a borrowed tomb.
Perhaps it was easier to die.
At least in death, they might leave a more honorable legacy for those remaining.
On the other hand, why didn’t they deny Him, just as Peter did? Why didn’t they absolve themselves and confess openly to the political and religious leaders—and to their fellow citizens—that they never realized what a troublemaker Jesus intended to become? They could have pleaded their case: had they known where Jesus was headed, they never would have followed Him. They might even have been honored for taking such a stand and bringing this fledgling sect to an abrupt end.
These men had options.
Did they choose a reasonable one?
Maybe…
Okay, okay—these were Jesus’ former followers. But what about the testimony of those who hated Him? What about those who had never followed Him, were never duped, but instead made it their ambition to hunt down and kill His followers? What would someone like that possibly gain by making a sudden about-face and becoming a follower of Jesus?
What about Saul of Tarsus?
Think about this man for a moment. He most certainly existed—someone had to have written the books of the New Testament attributed to him. So why not him? And why not accept his own brief autobiography?
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today.” — Acts 22:3
“Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” — Philippians 3:5–6
“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.” — Acts 22:4–5
So Saul was a Roman citizen (born in Tarsus) of Jewish heritage. He was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, a celebrated scholar of Mosaic Law. He was a self-proclaimed religious fanatic and a relentless persecutor of Jesus’ followers. We first encounter him at the stoning of Stephen.
And yet…
This same Saul—who so ardently believed he was doing the will of God by persecuting these followers—would later become one of the most fervent followers of Jesus himself.
His conversion was nothing short of extraordinary.
“Then they cast him (Stephen) out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” — Acts 7:58
Why would Saul abruptly change course and become a follower of Jesus?
WHY?
He gives his answer in the Book of Acts:
“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’” — Acts 22:6–8
As a result of this encounter, Saul—now known as the Apostle Paul—became an evangelist to the Gentiles for the cause of Jesus. He wrote numerous letters to the early Christian churches—many of which now form a significant portion of the New Testament. The message of Christ spread like wildfire across the world.
His followers continued to proclaim an empty tomb, a risen Savior, a coming Messiah—King of kings and Lord of lords.
It begs the question:
Was all of this accomplished for the cause of a dead man?
Maybe not…
