Easter Tradition

I started an Easter tradition a few years ago: Each Easter week I watch the gospel of Mathew on DVD from The Visual Bible series. It's a dramatization of the book of Matthew using dialogue taken word-for-word from the NIV.

It is like the Bible - in this case, Jesus - come to life.

It's long, nearly 5 hours long. So I don't typically manage to watch it all in one sitting, even though I usually want to. I've tried to watch the whole thing at once in order to absorb the whole story. Taking in the whole picture at once gives me a coherent view that often goes missing when I zero in on portions of scripture for daily reading or study. Just like looking at a picture of the whole earth from space brings a different understanding of something I walk, touch and see every day.

Plus, the first few hours of this video is so soothing. Rick and my dad have both fallen asleep watching it with me. Not out of boredom or exhaustion, but just because it has a tranquil effect. Not so much towards the end of the story, when Jesus is falsely accused, imprisoned, hung and buried. But before and after that somehow quietly uplifts my soul in a way that makes it rest easy.

The thing I love most about this dramatization is the attitude and facial expressions of Jesus. He is a joyful Jesus - a laughing God. I see a Savior that reaches out and tousles a disciple's hair as he delivers teaching designed to correct his misunderstandings - our misunderstandings. Familiar lines of scripture take on new shades of meaning for me while watching the actor and listening to the scriptures. Shades that wade into the purples and greens of friendship and life.

With just a brief stop in a blood red that faded to black before astonishingly turning gloriously white.

I am thankful Easter is here - a time when I'm reminded eternal life amazingly flows in me because of this laughing, loving, teaching, dying, rising God I serve.