23 Crosses: The Easter One

By Pastor Wilson

This cross is one of the smallest on our wall at home. It is easy to have it get lost in the 22 other crosses around it, but the message it conveys is too important to let that happen. I say that because this small white cross with purple splashes has something else on it too… a single Easter Lily.

If you ask people why these pretty flowers are associated with Easter you will likely get a whole array of answers or theological theories. Some say the white flower is meant to remind you of the purity of Christ. Others say the trumpet like shape makes you think of brass playing on Easter morning and heralding the good news of the day. In a Google search, I found several other similar suggestions too, but no definitive answers. The one that makes the most sense to me though has to do with the way Easter Lilies grow.

From the time their bulb is planted it usually takes over 1000 days of growing until the bulb has sprouted a shoot that is worthy of being sold. That means the bulb is underground for over three years until it emerges from the ground and turns into the flower we know and love. But even more, an Easter Lily can endure past a single season, for as a perennial, the Easter Lily can rise again.

I appreciate this cross and the flower on it- because it reminds me of the heart and soul of what Easter is about. For three days after the events on the cross, three days after Jesus bled and died for us, three days later… Jesus rose again. And because He has, that means death has been defeated by Christ. Because Jesus has risen from the dead, we trust that death doesn’t get the last word on Jesus or for those who believe in Him. Because Jesus has risen from the dead, we have the promise that all who have been called into God’s family of faith through our baptisms in Christ- will rise again too.

It may be a little cross on the wall, it may not get the same attention as other crosses that hang around it, but what it reminds us of is central to our faith and our future. For not only does this cross remind me of the very first Easter, but it also points me ahead to what will happen for all who trust in Christ when Jesus comes again. I pray that it would remind you of the same as you thank the Lord, this Easter and always, that Christ has risen from the dead… for you.