But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 

It has now been documented. Research polls indicate that Christmas is more popular than Easter. Surprised? It seems to me that a lot of research only certifies the obvious. That’s like asking people whether they prefer going to a baby dedication or christening, or a funeral. Of course, Christmas is more popular. And why not?

Who doesn’t love presents, twinkling lights or lanterns, feasting on special foods and the spirit of good will which we express to each other? Who doesn’t love a baby? Who doesn’t enjoy thoughts of peace and prosperity around the warmth of a fire, and the friendship of close friends and family? Besides, babies are non-threatening (other than to the lifestyle of the mother whose life is forever altered by the watch care she provides).   Babies smile, gurgle, and warm the heart. They laugh and make you laugh, too.

Easter however, is very much like a rose with prickly thorns, and no matter how beautiful is the rose, the thorns are still there. They are the barbs of what happened leading up to the Friday before Easter. It is this which changes the whole scene. There would be no Easter—no thoughts of resurrection—unless a crucifixion had taken place. A baby is God’s way of saying that life must go on, but Good Friday abruptly brought life to a halt. True, the resurrection brings hope, but it also brings us face to face with our humanity and the weakness of the flesh.

Who can sing on Easter morning, “Christ the Lord is risen today!” without thinking of those whom we love—parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and sadly enough, even our own children—who are awaiting the great resurrection morning when the dead in Christ will rise? In spite of the fact that the resurrection means ultimate triumph for the child of God, it still reminds us that someday we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death which leads to the glories of heaven.

There is another major reason why Easter runs second in popularity to Christmas. It is the offense of the cross which made Easter possible. No matter how you try to get around the issue, the brutality of Roman soldiers affixing a good man to the tree repulses the sense of justice within our hearts. For what did He pay such a brutal penalty? For healing the sick and afflicted, for comforting the grieving, for touching the social outcasts of society? For which of His good works did He deserve what He got?

The situation which Paul observed long ago is still very much with us. The cross is offensive, it makes us uncomfortable because we sense a certain complicity, an involvement with those who perpetrated this evil. Who among us is without sin? Writing to the Corinthians Paul said that the cross of Christ became “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” In a very real sense, it is everybody’s thorn.

The word which we translate “stumbling block” in English is the Greek word skandalon.   You probably recognize that this word gave us our English word, scandal. It means, “that which gives offense or causes revulsion, that which arouses opposition, an object of anger or disapproval.” Christmas, of course, is inoffensive. It completely lacks the ring of scandal or the offense of our humanity.

May I challenge you to take time this week to carefully read the text of Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the crucifixion. Then read John 20 and 21 where the Good News of resurrection touches our lives.

Resource reading: Matthew 26:1-28:20