'Twas The Easter Before Easter

Can you imagine what the Romans and other onlookers thought after Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried? This is Ian McCrae’s take on what the Romans were thinking. “Many who saw a man hanging on a cross almost 2,000 years ago must have thought: “The Christian religion is now dissolved.” But it was not so. Christianity is as true now as it was then. The end is the beginning.

Here’s a story in the Bible about moving from cognition (knowing about something but having no idea what it means) to re-cognition (knowing about something, knowing why it is essential, and knowing how it works). 

“And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Jesus to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village, and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, Jesus asked him, “Do you see anything?” And the blind man looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again, Jesus laid His hands on man’s eyes; and he looked intently and was restored and began to see everything clearly.”  Mark 8:22-25.

After Jesus prayed for the man the first time, he could see. The problem is he sees "men like trees." He sees men partially but does not see men clearly. Men don't have bark for skin or limbs growing out of the top of their heads. Then Jesus prays for the man again, and this time he begins to see everything clearly. The second time Jesus prayed for the man is what I call the second touch. The second touch moved the formerly blind man from obscurity to clarity and from cognition to re-cognition. 

God knows we humans need that second touch to understand what we are seeing, hearing, or experiencing. Otherwise, we will see what is going on around us like a tree. Such is often the case with Easter. People know about Easter, but they don’t know Easter. 

Because of our propensity to need a second touch for clarity and understanding, God gave us two Easters, approximately three months apart. Thus, the title of this article, ‘Twas the Easter before Easter. Why did God do that? So that we wouldn't miss the real meaning of Easter. The first Easter was a shadow, a prequel, an incident getting us ready for what God has ready for us. The second Easter was the substance, the second touch, the real revelation or epiphany, upgrading us from Easter bunnies, spring holidays, and parties to Resurrection Day. 

The prequel resurrection in the account of Easter happened to a man named Lazarus. He was a very close friend of Jesus and a person that Jesus loved. Lazarus had two sisters named Mary and Martha. While Jesus was away, Lazarus became sick and died, and was buried in a cave or tomb. The sisters sent for Jesus to come to Bethany. He arrived four days later. Everyone in Bethany was mourning, hopeless, and hapless. Even Jesus wept on this occasion. 

But Jesus, with God’s prompting, did something about the situation. Jesus said, "Remove the stone!" After that, Jesus cried, "Lazarus, come forth," and Lazarus came out of the tomb, still wrapped up in his burial clothes. After the people unbound him, there was a celebration both in Bethany and at the yet-to-come triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where both Jesus and Lazarus were present.

What’s the story behind the story here? God wanted to prepare us so we would not miss the real meaning of Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification. It’s as if God grabbed their (and our) shirts, turned them and us around, and shouted, “Pay attention – this affects you forever!” Observe the similar patterns of Lazarus' and Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection along with Bible references.   

Notice the physical death of Lazarus (John 11:14) and Jesus (John 19:30). Notice the mourning for Lazarus after his death (John 11:19, John 11:35) and Jesus after his death (John 20:11). Observe the entombments and of Lazarus (John 11:38) and Jesus (John 19:41). Lazarus was in the grave for four days. Jesus was in the grave for three days. Both sequences are mentioned in the Bible to make sure that no one could say they were never dead. 

In both Lazarus’ (John 11:41) and Jesus’ (John 20:1) cases, a stone was rolled away from the entrance of their tombs. Lazarus (John 11:44) and Jesus (John 20:14) were raised from the dead and seen by many people afterward. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and Jesus Himself rose from the dead, many people believed that Jesus was the Son of God (John 11:45; John 12:9-11: John 12:42; John 20:26-31).

God gave them and us the first touch, the prequel of Lazarus, to get them and us ready for the second touch, Jesus. The first touch was the salad, but the second was the main course. Afterward, many began to see that there is a real God, that there is real eternal life, and that there is clearly a real Savior.

Before Jesus raised Lazarus, He told a distraught Martha, "Your brother will be raised up." Martha replied, "I know he will be raised in the resurrection at the end of time." Jesus replied, "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. Even though they die, the one who believes in me will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?" Martha replied, “Yes, Lord. I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.” (John 11:23-27). Aha! Now, Martha is seeing clearly the significance of Jesus’ resurrection and eternal life.  

So, this Easter, let your first Easter morph into Resurrection Day. As the song says, "He's alive, he's alive, he's alive, and I'm forgiven, heaven's gates are opened wide." Right now, Jesus is Resurrection and Life. Perhaps Lazarus’ and Jesus’ resurrections were all prequels for your resurrection, too. Happy Resurrection Day and Easter if you like.