EASTER, MY BELOVED SEASON! By Jason Turyahabwa

Easter!
You are my beloved season.

I heard about you when I was young but now am old and I still hear about you!

As a boy my parents would tell me to take the cows for grazing during your season and I would cry bitterly because I always wanted to meet you at church!

Eventually I would be allowed to go with mum to church and I would look around, inside the church and outside, but I failed to see you! I would listen to the preacher mentioning you and did not know how he could see you but I couldn’t!

Oh! Easter!
You really puzzled me.
I saw several cows, goats and chickens being killed in my village in your name but I still could not see you.
I asked about you and nobody could give me an answer.
I thought you were in rice, meat, and the banana juice mixed with millet porridge which were majorly associated with your season; though I enjoyed all these, I did not see you!

When I went to school, I would eagerly wait for you because we would be given half-term holidays to go home and celebrate. Later, I learnt that prophet Isaiah prophesied about you:

A child is born to us! 
A Son is given to us!
And he will be our Ruler. He will be called “Wonderful Counselor”
“Mighty God”, “Eternal Father”, “Prince of Peace”. Isaiah 9:6 (GN)

I still found it difficult to understand.
If the people whom Isaiah was writing to still did not understand the message of The Son, how could I understand?
Other prophets also wrote about you but I remained on Isaiah.
He continued to prophecy:

A voice cries out, “Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord! Clear the way in the desert for our God. Isaiah 40:3 (GN).

Isaiah was preparing us to receive You. As I waited for You, I heard John the Baptist say;

I am the voice of someone shouting in the desert, “Make a straight path for the Lord to travel.” John 1:23b (GN)

Perhaps I needed to examine myself and see whether my heart was hard. Then I repented and received the Promised One. I was glad to know that You were sent by God as a promised savior, the son of God and that through faith in You we might have life. No wonder in the gospel according to John, God said;

For God Loved the world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life. John 3:16 (GN).

You are custodian of my life.

I cherish you indeed.

The only condition is to believe in You, a thing that is simple for me. You died on my behalf which cannot be done by any human being.

Easter! Easter!
You are wonderful to me.

Why was the day of Your death called Good Friday?
It is good because Your death shook the whole world, took ALL power away from the devil and restored us dead sinners to life on the day of Your Resurrection. Your coming out of the grave was miraculous for You walked out by Yourself and appeared to some of Your disciples including your mother, Mary. This confirmed that You overpowered our enemy, the devil and his greatest weapon, death.

Despite all the miracles You demonstrated on earth in front Your disciples and other people, still the world did not understand You.
Even when You told them that You would be condemned by the chief priests and teachers of the law, still no one understood.

 “Listen,” He told them, “we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law. They will condemn Him to death. Mathew 20:18 (GN).

All this was a mystery to them!
The Gentiles mocked, whipped and crucified You but three days later, You were raised to life. You, therefore, became my hope and shield.

Oh! Easter! Easter!
You are my beloved Season.

Alleluia.