Greatest April Fool's in History

​As a child, April Fool’s Day almost eclipsed Christmas as my favorite day of the entire year. April 1 felt like I could lie legitimately for twenty-four hours without getting in trouble if I shouted, “April Fool’s!” when my lie was discovered.
 
This year, April Fool’s Day is on Easter Sunday or it may be that Easter Sunday is on April Fool’s Day. Easter is a floating holiday not fixed on a set date. Easter can land on any date between March 22 and April 25 on our Gregorian calendar. Some of you think of Easter bunnies, egg hunts and chocolate on this holiday. A few of you debate the Quartodeciman controversy every Easter.
 
For a long time, I have been thinking about Easter celebrated on the first of April. Some plan to make the most of it and tell the children to search for Easter eggs they did not hide.
 
Easter celebrates the greatest April Fool’s prank in history: Jesus rising from the dead after three days in the tomb. Suppose you were to make up a story or a legend that would shape history. You probably would not base it on a hero born of a virgin. It would not make sense to have the hero healing and doing miracles like giving sight to a man born blind, healing a paralyzed man so he could walk, and even raising dead people to life. Nor would you have the hero living a perfect, sinless life. A novel that had children clamoring after a hero, crowds declaring him their king upon his arrival to their spiritual city and many of the same people  shouting for their hero crucified before the week is over is a very confusing story.
 
The Bible and non-biblical sources record exactly this story. The conflict of Good and Evil was between Jesus and satan. Satan thought he had won when Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” and died.
 
The greatest April Fool’s joke in history occurred when Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to over five hundred people over forty days. People saw Jesus, touched Him, ate with Him, talked to Him and embraced Him. Jesus conquered sin and death with His resurrection.
 
Maybe before the next Easter/April Fools collide on the same day, we will experience the next world- changing event by Jesus: His physical return to earth.
 
Two angels spoke these words to the followers who saw Jesus ascending to heaven:
 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11 (NIV)
 
This April Fool’s Day, find out if the Quartodeciman controversy is an April Fool’s joke and join one of the many Easter services held in your community. Discover how the greatest April Fool’s prank in history can change your life.