This Sunday is Easter and Christians will rush to the empty tomb to see and hear and proclaim the foolishness of the Cross. With shouts of joy we will declare, ‘He is Risen!’ and others will respond, ‘He is Risen indeed!’

All the while an unbelieving world cries, ‘April fools!’

It is a rare occurance, the confluence of April Fools’ Day and Easter. The last time they shared a day was in 1956. After 2018, the next time they’ll fall on the same day will be in 2029, then again in 2040, but then not again until after the turn of the century.

Making the most of every opportunity, let us prepare to wish a Happy April Fools day to all those who know the foolishness of God that leads to salvation.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'”  1 Corinthians 1:18-19

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Consider the message of the Cross. In an act seen by the world as utter foolishness, God redeems His Creation.  The Cross is the climax of history. It is the event that makes sense of all that happens before and all that happens after. To those who are being saved, the message of the Cross is salvation, redemption, love, forgiveness, eternal life. But the message of the Cross is, to many, foolishness.

While I cherish the Cross, I recognize that I do so because God has given me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mind to comprehend that which is too wonderful for me! It is a mystery which remains hidden to many. I shall not boast in this knowledge, but I do long for others to see what I see in the person and work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross.

This Sunday, we will rise early and rush to an empty tomb to celebrate Jesus Christ’s physical resurrection from the dead. We will turn, and by faith, put our hope of salvation from sin and unto eternal life in the Son whom God raised – and in Him we will have life, real, abundant and eternal. That message, the message of the Cross, is utter foolishness to those who have no hope of salvation and they see us as fools.

Easter Sunday falls this year on April Fools day, providing an unusual opportunity for us to declare the wisdom of God in the foolishness of the Cross. But we must recognize that we declare this hope to a world full of people who literally see things differently than we do. 

Consider what you thought about today and why you did what you did. What thoughts passed through your mind that would be considered utter foolishness by the standards of the world? What spiritual insights did the Holy Spirit impress upon your mind that the world would see as foolish ideas? Did you give yourself away? Did you consider others as better than yourself? Do you work as if unto the Lord? Did you go the extra mile simply as a demonstration of love? Did you think about your ‘Cross Walk’ at the crosswalk? Did you consider the glory of the Lord and the possibility of the Son rise when you saw the sunrise?

To you the world cries, ‘You fool!’  And the truth of the Scriptures is confirmed:

“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:18

With that knowledge we turn toward the fools in the world who say in their hearts there is no God (Psalm 14:1) and we share with them the radical love of God in Jesus Christ.

Dave Pettigrew on finding hope on Easter