Why Church on Easter Is Sweet

God's a God of grace, and grace always breeds hope.

Easter is about hope, and church at Easter is about grace.

That’s why Easter Sundays can be so sweet.

It’s Easter morning, and the sun is shining. It’s one of the best days of the year for me. It’s spring, there’s chocolate, there’s no pressure to buy gifts, and the church will soon be full.

If you know much about church culture, you know Easter is a high attendance day. It’s like the Super Bowl of church services. People come who haven’t been all year, and some haven’t been. Quite a few attend who aren’t interested in the “game” but just like the festivities.

Church marketers leverage that and squeeze it for all it’s worth.

Churched curmudgeons callously criticize the crowds and pass out judgment along with the offering plates.

But I watch to see what happens and welcome everyone who comes. And I hope all sorts of people come.

I think people come because deep inside each of us is a longing for transcendence and a connection to God, a desire to be forgiven and accepted and made whole, and a little hope that there's more to this life than science can prove.

Easter Sunday is like a free, no-strings-attached pass to try and figure it out. People are expected to go to church on Easter. So, each person can go and simply slide in with the crowd.

People might not define their reasons for coming that way, but those are accurate. The Bible tells us that God hard-wired us to want to know and seek him (Romans 1:18-21). He promised that when he was lifted, he would draw people to himself (John 12:32), and on Easter, he's certainly lifted up.

I hope churches all over the world are packed on Easter, with faithful followers and curious seekers, with the confused and addicted and marginalized and proud.

And when they come, I hope we who have already sought and been found can offer grace, lots of grace, grace that says, “Wow, we’re so glad you came. We hoped you would.”

And more importantly, I hope everyone, including me, can find the sweet grace of Jesus, who says, “Yes, it's so right for you to be here today. I made this day for you, and I made a way for you to find all that you need. It’s called salvation. And it’s in me. And it’s for you. And it’s so much more than anything you imagined. You can believe me and have it because I died for you and came back from the grave.”

But we know that. It’s Easter.

I hope you find what Easter is about—Jesus.

I hope the church is filled with hope and grace on Easter.

I hope you savor the joy of Easter every day.