“Chickum and Chockum!”
When our youngest son, Jonathan, was little, as a true Southerner, he proclaimed chicken and chocolate as his favorite foods!
Easter was a time he and his brothers, Andrew and Daniel, were able to indulge in chocolate and have a lot of fun at the same time.
We were pastoring a small church in Irvington, Kentucky, when they were young and had been “adopted” into a large family of churchgoers who had Easter egg hunts and dinner at the farm of one of the grandmothers. Our boys were included and fit right in with all the cousins as they played, hid eggs, looked for the golden egg and ran in and around the big, green yard.
They woke up on Easter morning to rush outside to see if there were any baskets of goodies hidden in the front yard. Sure enough, there were chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs and small toys in a basket for each boy.
After wiping chocolate off little hands and faces, we all got ready in our new outfits to go to church. They went to Sunday school and learned Bible stories, colored Easter pictures of Jesus risen from the grave and had a snack. Next came big church, where they listened to music that told the Easter story, listened to their daddy’s sermon about the importance of Jesus rising from the dead after the crucifixion and sang hymns.
Afterward, everyone went outside and we had a picture made in front of the church.
I treasure those memories of sitting with our three boys in a Easter worship service. I enjoy looking at pictures we made of the boys covered in smiles and chocolate.
But most of all, I treasure the knowledge that each son, at one definite point in his life, made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. They professed their belief in Jesus as the only Son of God who came to die on the cross to pay the punishment for our sins.
Jesus was buried and rose on the third day alive again. He ascended to heaven, where He is now and will return again for His believers. His death paid the punishment we deserved for our sin. He offers forgiveness and eternal life to those who confess Him and make Him their Lord and Savior.
Why is Easter so important?
Jesus proved He is God and defeated death by returning to life after being killed by a horrible, painful death on the cross.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus defeated Satan and death.
Who is Jesus?
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” (John 11:25)
Have you made a decision to profess your belief in Jesus Christ, Who He is, and what He did?
It’s better than “chickum and chockum!”
