“Faith Facts” is a series of short write-ups (approximately 350 words) that can be used in church bulletins or as brief explainers during Christian worship.
Download: Bulletin insert (5.5″x8.5″).
Faith Facts
It’s still Easter! Easter is a season, not just a day.
Easter Sunday is awesome—the best day of the year. But have you ever stopped to think, why do we celebrate it at all? Christ is risen all year round. Every Sunday is a miniature Easter (the first day of the week, when Christ arose). So why have a special day in the Spring?
The answer is that from very early on, shortly after the time of the apostles, the Church set a date to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. They followed God’s wisdom in the Old Testament, where God gave Israel annual feasts to remember his mighty works.
But here’s the thing: The Church has not just passed down to us a day to celebrate the resurrection; it has given us a 50-day season!
The reason for a 50-day season is very simple: After Jesus rose from the dead, he stayed with his disciples for 40 days, and then had them wait for another 10 days until he came to be with them in a new way through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (40 + 10 = 50).
Remember: The Church Calendar is about telling the story of Jesus. And it’s not just the moment of resurrection that is essential to our faith. Paul says that the various appearances of the risen Christ are a matter of first importance! (1 Cor. 15:3–8).
For the first 40 days of Easter, Christians put themselves in the place of the first disciples, from Easter evening behind locked doors to the Emmaus road. We hear his words, “Peace be with you” and learn from him about the kingdom. Then, on the 40th day, we celebrate his ascension and begin earnestly praying for the Spirit’s power to be poured out afresh and anew in our lives. Finally, on Pentecost Sunday (the 50th and final day of Easter), our shouts of “Christ is risen!” lead us to sing, “The Comforter has come!”
So keep the celebration going! The story isn’t over! Christ is risen!
