Spiritual Essence of Easter

Most of us know about the traditional story of the crucifixion and the resurrection.  Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on Mount Calvary and then rose from the dead as a victorious symbol of forgiveness and everlasting life in heaven.  But for many of us, this explanation of Easter is unsatisfactory, as there is some ambiguity regarding how, exactly, this act of crucifixion and resurrection saves us from our sins.   But if we look at the crucifixion and the resurrection as a metaphor it becomes clearer. 
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A crucifixion is an ending.  It is symbolic of the letting go of conditions, items, and sometimes people that no longer serve us.  The process is seldom easy, and often rather painful and complicated.  It typically involves bringing to light hidden, harmful thoughts and beliefs about who we are, and the negative emotions like shame and bitterness, that accompany them.  But once those negative thoughts and beliefs are acknowledged, they can be processed and released, ending the cycle of self-doubt and limiting thinking that may be holding us back from our true abundance and prosperity. 

Once we let go of these thoughts and beliefs that do not serve us we create space in our minds that we can fill with joyful thoughts and positive beliefs that will enhance our lives. This is the resurrection.  The beginning of a new set of beliefs about our lives and our potential.  And out of this new set of beliefs we can build, or resurrect, a new life that we love living. 

The crucifixion is the end or death of something – a habit, a job, a relationship.  The resurrection is the new beginning, the rising from the ashes, the Phoenix.  Each Easter is an opportunity to cast off that which no longer serves us, an ending of those beliefs that we have found to be harmful.  And a beginning of new beliefs and habits that bring us closer to our true spirit and purpose. 

You cannot have the resurrection without the crucifixion.  The crucifixion can be chaotic and awkward, but it is necessary to end the old before the new can begin.  There is a resurrection power in all of us, and it is never to late to rise up and begin again.