The Meaning of Easter during the Coronavirus Epidemic

Today is Easter Sunday, and I woke up this morning to see that even all of Facebook proclaims the good news -- Christ is risen from the grave! I started to think -- what does this powerful and joyful message mean for us today? 

We are celebrating a different kind of Easter this year. The great cities of the world are in lockdown – hotels, restaurants, bars, airports, theaters, sporting events and even churches sit in empty silence. Here in Finland, our province has been closed off from the rest of the country with police guarding our borders vigilantly round the clock, meaning many families are separated at a time when we would otherwise be gathering together. In the span of a mere few weeks, millions of people have lost their jobs and are confused about the future, while others brave the terrors of a still relatively unknown disease daily to save the lives of the countless patients in our nations’ hospitals and care homes. Many have lost friends, family and loved ones, and the fear of sickness is undoubtedly prevalent, whether we are able to articulate it or not. 

The message of Easter, that Jesus, the son of our almighty God, willingly went to the cross, ¨was wounded for our transgressions, was bruised for our iniquities,¨ (Isaiah 53:5) and rose in victory so that we would be granted eternal life, is one which we are well familiar with, but it takes on a much different meaning this year in light of our current circumstances. Jesus did not only go to the cross so that we would have a secure future after death – the Bible also tells us that ¨by His stripes we are healed,¨ and that He came ¨to heal the brokenhearted, and to proclaim liberty to the captives, to comfort all who mourn, to give beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.¨(Isaiah 61). That’s a lot of good news! This means that even today, we know that God is in control of our situation and our world, and that we can trust Him with our lives, even if we are afraid or don’t completely understand what is going on. 

The power of the resurrection is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago, because Jesus never changes and His love and grace are totally beyond our comprehension. It is my prayer this Easter even as we sit in our homes, unable to attend church, that we would come to truly understand how deeply Jesus loves us and how much He longs for us to trust Him completely. This, my friends, is ultimately the message of Easter.

Christ is risen! Hallelujah!