It’s hard for me to think about Easter without thinking about this verse:
1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV), “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.” That is a bold claim for a religion – to hang the entire faith on one thing. For Paul, the Christian faith is not just a thing; it’s an actual date in history; it’s a true physical act that occurred: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without it, the Christian faith is “futile” (μάταιος; vain, useless). Easter is the celebration of the moment that literally makes or breaks our faith.
But like Christmas, with Easter being something that happens every year, it can be hard to come up with a way to announce the Resurrection in ways that both seem creatively new while still fulfilling our primary call of remaining biblically faithful.
And so, as a pastor who is in charge of coming up with each year’s Easter series and theme, here are some tips that I utilize when it comes time to come up with the Easter series.
1. Keep it Biblical!
This may seem obvious, but I’ve seen churches try to be so creative with their Easter service, that they look for inspiration from the world instead of the Word. At the end of the day, what matters is not that we are creative, but that we are biblical. If this is not our foundation and first step, it doesn’t matter what comes next. Pastor, remember, that everything you need to share the message of Christ is contained within the pages of Scripture. So, don’t try to outthink the Bible. Saturate yourself in the pages of Scripture, and yet look with eyes aware of the times that are still focused on eternity, and when you do, the Spirit will lead you to the message and a way to communicate it that will speak timely and timeless truths to the people gathered on Easter.
2. Make the timeless timely
Knowing you cannot overstate the Resurrection, this central message of Christianity should never be reserved for just Easter Sunday, but on the day ‘when everyone shows up,’ use the timeless truth of the Resurrection to share a timely message that speaks to people’s eternity and to the immediate.
So yes, while the message should be biblical, your job is to show people how this is relevant to their eternal soul but also their everyday lives. Jesus was the master at using his immediate surroundings to point to eternal truths. For us pastors, it’s ok to ask what is happening around us – on the news or in the world – that we can use, not just to make a point, but that we can use to point to Jesus. This is how we help people develop a biblical worldview. For instance, we have an upcoming Easter series called “Full Circle; How the story of Easter brings us back to everything good.” Playing on the shape of the circle and the shape of the stone that rolled away, we’ll examine how Easter brings from death to life, from law to love, from surrender to victory – and how this is all possible not because of some religious hope, but because of a specific date in history: the day that Jesus came back to life. These are timeless truths but put in a timely way because people are unsure of what is next, we have a cultural rather than a biblical view of the Christian faith, and we will also announce to all that the only true hope we have is found in Christ.
3. Use your church!
If you’re running dry on coming up with an Easter series, try approaching your church with questions that get them thinking – and get you thinking! You don’t have to be the only one coming up with an idea for a series for them, even if you’re the one preaching the messages of the series. I have no doubt God has placed good people around you, so see what insight you can glean from them. Here are some questions that might lead to good ideas:
What is one word you think of when I say, “Easter sermon”?
What’s your favorite Biblical text that speaks of the Resurrection?
Besides tradition, why do you think people are willing to come to church on Easter, but not other Sundays?
What questions do you have surrounding the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Go ask 15 to 20 people one of those questions and see what comes up, what themes emerge, what pages of Scripture are you brought to, and what answers did you not expect?
And as you do this, look for how the Holy Spirit may be at work and what He brings to mind – and look how that might be a spark, what jumps off the page and how could this be the seed of an idea that you can flesh out into sermon or series?
Last Thing For Your Easter Series
And the last thing I would say to you, oh, local pastor, is make sure you preach for your church. Don’t have eyes on preaching to the nation or the world, but recognize God has called you as a shepherd of a local congregation – and how is your Easter message meant to speak to their lives, nourishing them with the world of God? Release yourself from the burden of trying to create a viral sermon series and simply create one that speaks to and builds the congregation God has blessed you with.
And remember, this is the most joyous message so enjoy the process!!
For a similar article with tips that might also be helpful for Easter, check out our blog 3 Tips for your Christmas Series