It just so happens that Easter falls on April 1 this year—April Fools’ Day. This has led some pranksters to consider the humor in staging a fake Easter egg hunt—allowing children to believe that there were eggs hidden for them to find when in fact that was not the case. It seems to me to be just a little bit cruel to even consider such an unpleasant surprise.

Many people must have been unpleasantly surprised when Jesus rose from the tomb on resurrection Sunday: the religious leaders who had worked so hard to get Jesus out of the way, the crowds who had mocked him as he hung on the cross, the Roman soldiers who executed him, and the devil, who probably thought that he had won when Jesus died.

The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead may have been an unpleasant surprise for some, but it was the best thing that could have happened for the human race. The crucified, yet resurrected, Jesus gives hope to all humanity. Lost in our sins, we now have the way to be reconciled to God, who in his mercy sent his one and only Son to die to pay for our sins. This crucified Jesus was raised from the dead, giving assurance of life after death, not only for Jesus, but for all who would place their complete trust in him.

For those who believe, Easter is the best surprise ever!

“…He has risen!…”—Mark 16:6.