The irony of Easter!

Do you know what the word "Easter" means? In truth, nobody really does! Some have suggested it came from the name Eostre, a goddess of spring and fertility, or perhaps the month Eosturmonath (April) named for the celebration of Eostre and new life. It's not quite in April this year, but it continues to be a celebration of new life! I love the way God can use the unexpected and turn it upside down for his purposes. 

Last week at Bible study I was struck by the ironies of Easter. 

Firstly, a man died, in order to bring life! (That alone is pretty backwards.)

He was sarcastically charged with being "The King of the Jews", as if that was a big claim for the king of the world.

People mocked him saying that he saved others but couldn't save himself. When actually, he chose not to save himself in order to save others. 

They said that if he came down from the cross, they would believe in him. But he stayed on the cross so that he could defeat death and rise to life again – "so that if anyone believes in him, God will not finish them up, but they will live with him for ever."

I pray that this Easter will give people all around the world the opportunity to reflect on what God did through Jesus' death and resurrection, using the unexpected (and seemingly illogical) to reconcile the world to himself.