In the United States, and I’m sure throughout much of the world, the holiday of Easter is recognized with a reverent solemnity akin to the funeral of a family member. I’ve always had an issue with approaching the celebration of our freedom from sin and death with tears and pain, a type of self-flagellation if you will. It is as if somehow we can participate in the cross by taking our mistakes upon ourselves to hopefully make it lighter for Jesus or, in reality, our conscience. Our regular practice of this solemn approach to our savior lulls us into a perfectly comfortable sense of self-righteousness. I have viewed this in others as well as myself.
I always wondered how God would want me to approach the holiday of Easter, and for some time, I would look throughout scripture to see if there is a hint to the correct positioning of ourselves to Him in this respect. I did not expect to find an answer to this question in the book of Nehemiah. Though I find it is often incorrect to apply things from the Old Testament to the covenant we live in today, I do believe that God’s opinions on matters have stayed the same throughout the covenants. From the Old Covenant to the New, the relationship and the judgments have changed, but the person of God remains the same.
In Nehemiah, Jerusalem had been destroyed and laid waste, and the people of God wanted to return to rebuild the city and worship their God from the exile that they had been in for years. Through much toil and trouble with neighbors, they accomplished the goal of rebuilding Jerusalem and setting things in order as they should be. It was when the law was being revealed to the exiles, people who had not really known or heard it for years, if ever, that the scene I have been referring to had come to light.
Nehemiah 8:7-12
“7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”
12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.”
My human brain would think it is good and right to mourn on Easter or have heard what Christ had done for me after I had forgotten it, or had I not known. But the priests in Nehemiah knew that it was not good to mourn on a holy day because there is no strength in that – the joy of the Lord is your strength – is what the passage reads. We don’t rely on our own understanding or our own strength.
In verse 12, it states that they were finally able to celebrate with great joy after they understood the words that had been shared with them. I hope that you are able to celebrate after you understand what Christ did for you and all of mankind: past, present, and future. Easter is not a time to realize how bad you failed or what you have fallen short of, but a time to realize the great love of God. That what He did on the cross was the only thing that could be done to reconcile Himself with mankind, and His rising from the grave means even more than that.