It has been said that we cannot remember the three most important days of our lives: the day of our conception, the day of our birth, and the day of our death. The days that lie between our birth and death make us who we are and contain myriad special days and events to be remembered. All of them marked on our personal calendars. The church, as well as society at large, has its days, no date more important than Easter Sunday. On this day we remember the fourth important day in the life of Jesus, his resurrection.The need to accurately fix the date of Easter and the other major Christian festivals fueled the development of our modern calendar. It was promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, after the Jesuit astronomer, Christopher Clavius, solved the age-old problem of keeping the calendar synchronized with the seasons. Easter always falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. As such, the earliest possible date for Easter is March 22, and the latest possible date is April 25. This year is the earliest Easter has fallen in 85 years!Regardless of how early or late Easter falls, it is a time for us to remember not only those events in the life of Jesus — his arrest, his trial, his crucifixion, and his resurrection — but also to think about the very great promise of Easter for you and me. The ancient Baptismal creed of the church ends with the phrase “I believe in … the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” This is the historic confession and faith of the church. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so also shall we be. The fourth important day in the life of Jesus will also be our fourth day, and Easter is God’s seal and promise that the life Jesus now lives will be ours for eternity.Easter is more than just another holiday on the Gregorian Calendar. It is the birthday of a new order into which we have been translated through God’s grace. It is true that we may never remember our conception or our birth, but it is also true that as Christians we are promised that someday we will remember not only our death but also our resurrection to life.
