Good Friday and Easter—arguably the two most significant events in human history—are often little more than a blip on our cultural radar, even for Christians.
And as Gospel Advancing leaders, we’re prone to focus more on planning and programming for these holidays than on what they mean for our own spiritual growth and connection with Christ. What if this year were different?
Here are six practices I’ve implemented in my own life to tap into the abundant richness of the season and prepare my heart to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection. I encourage you to choose one or two to put into practice as well. As you deepen your walk with Jesus, the blessings of the Holy Spirit you experience will inevitably overflow to your students.
1. Observe Lent.
About 300 years after Christ rose from the grave, Christians started observing the season of Lent as a way to prepare their hearts for Easter. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and prayer that occurs 46 days before Resurrection Sunday.
Many Protestant churches (and nearly every Catholic church) hold an Ash Wednesday service that typically consists of a moment of silence, an opportunity to confess and repent of your sins, and getting ash placed across your forehead in the shape of a cross as a symbol of repentance.
Following Ash Wednesday, fasting or abstaining through the season of Lent can serve as a powerful reminder of the 40 days of prayer and fasting that Jesus spent in the wilderness, just before he entered public ministry. Fasting is an opportunity to replace the attention you’ve given to the thing you’re abstaining from, and refocus that attention on Christ.
The season of Lent concludes on Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday). Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and the institution of communion during the Last Supper.
The deeply meaningful traditions of Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Maundy Thursday have, over the course of nearly 2,000 years, helped millions to prepare their hearts for Easter—and they can do the same for yours.
Even if you missed Ash Wednesday and are jumping in late in the game, a focus on repentance and fasting in the remaining days leading up to Easter will still help you keep your eyes on Christ and all He’s done for us.
2. Talk about Easter eggs.
You may think the Easter egg is merely a newfangled, secular tradition, but the use of decorated eggs for celebrating Easter dates back to the 13th century.
In many Christian traditions, eggs were not permitted to be eaten during Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter Sunday). But chickens continued laying eggs. This led to the collection of those Holy Week eggs, which were stained red to represent the blood of Christ, and were eaten after the season of Lent.
Eggs also can serve as a great reminder of what Jesus has done, because they’re a symbol of new life. The shell cracks open, and new life emerges—a memorable illustration of what took place on Easter morning, when the tomb broke open and Jesus emerged, alive forevermore!
As you engage in decorating (and eating) Easter eggs, talk with your family about and reflect on the deeper meaning behind the activity.
3. Attend a Good Friday service.
If your church isn’t offering a Good Friday service, consider attending one elsewhere. This can prepare your heart for Easter Sunday, and also foster greater love and appreciation for the universal Church.
Perhaps you could find a church that’s providing a Seder supper (a traditional Passover style meal), a “Stations of the Cross” walk-through, or some other expression of worship. This can help you consider the significance of the cross in a fresh way.
Personally, I’ll never forget attending a Good Friday service during which the electricity randomly went out. We were all given candles to hold while the pastor spoke about the sky turning dark when Jesus hung on the cross. It was a powerful, unplanned, and unforgettable moment.
4. Watch The Passion of the Christ.
The first time I ever watched Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was on Good Friday in 2004. It was an exceptionally moving experience for me. I watched the film every year on Good Friday for nearly a decade afterward. It served as a vivid reminder of what Jesus was willing to go through to save me from my sins. And it always left me with an exceedingly grateful heart.
5. Plant a tree.
This one may bend toward the bizarre, but in 2006, after my wife and I came home from the mission field and moved into our first house, we went out on Good Friday and bought a Crimson King maple tree to plant in our front yard. Through the years, as we’ve watched it grow and bloom and weather storm after storm, it’s reminded us of the King of Kings, our Savior whose crimson flow of blood has purchased our peace with God.
6. Invite someone to church.
It’s no secret that Easter Sunday is one of the biggest days for church attendance across the world (perhaps you’ve heard the terms Chreaster people or CEOs for people who attend church on Christmas and Easter only ). For whatever reason, people tend to be more open to the idea of attending church on Easter.
This phenomenon provides the perfect opportunity for you to invite a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker to come to church with you on Easter Sunday. Statistically, they’ll be more likely to say yes on that day than any other.
Leading up to the church service, pray fervently for their hearts to be open to God. Care for them in practical ways, such as offering to pick them up or meet them in the lobby so they don’t have to enter the building alone.
Hope and pray like crazy that the pastor presents the Gospel clearly during the service. And if he doesn’t, follow up with your friend by sharing the Gospel with them personally afterward.
If, by the grace of God, your friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker hears the clear Gospel and puts their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, it’ll be the best Easter Sunday of their lives—and likely yours as well.
Bonus: Share how you prepare.
What practices have you found helpful in readying your heart to celebrate Easter? Share your insights with the Gospel Advancing community on our Facebook page to bless others as well!
