Convicted because I find myself often getting caught up in the candy and Easter Bunny stigma so much that I lose focus of Jesus. I often feel convicted the same way at Christmas time. When we as Christians prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, we're bombarded by the media, which tells us that Easter has one purpose and one purpose only - to celebrate yourself. Buy yourself some candy. Enjoy yourself with your family. Take care of yourself and have fun! But as Christians we must be concerned with the opposite. We must celebrate Jesus. We must do the things we do only to celebrate Jesus. We must have family dinners and go to church on Easter Sunday and have an Easter egg hunt solely to celebrate Jesus!
And finally, I'm filled with hope and joy when, and only when, I focus on the true meaning of Easter, the death and resurrection of our Living Lord, Jesus Christ. I'm filled with hope because I know that since Jesus rose from the grave, I can have hope that He will one day return and that one day, I'll be able to sit at His feet and worship Him! Joy because of what Jesus did for me! He rose from the dead and gave life to me, a sinner, saved only by the grace and mercy of God and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!