resurrection

Easter is the cornerstone event in the Christian tradition. It celebrates resurrection; death and rebirth; or at least the possibility.

Easter validates Christmas. Although not quite the commercial success, without Easter, the Nazarene is just another precocious Jewish kid who
grows up to be just
"The Resurrection"
Carl Heinrich Bloch (May,1834 – Feb,1890)

another disenfranchised radical Rabbi.
But, throw in the miracle of the resurrection and Jesus the Nazarene becomes "The Christ".

"Christ", as you probably already know, is not a name
but a title.
As the man, Siddhārtha Gautama, became "The Buddah" (enlightened one) so the man, Jesus of Nazareth became
"The Christ" (anointed one)

Now whether or not we accept Jesus as an historical figure (which I'm honestly not sure I do) most of us embrace the somewhat comforting allegory.
And that's a good thing.
We live in a predominately Christian country and the parables, myths and sayings of the tradition serve to keep most of us living according to our better natures.

Still, the concept of resurrection and Christianity are not mutually exclusive. . .
There was Attis from Greece in 1201BC, Mithra from Persia in 1200 BC, Krishna from India in 900 BC and Dionysus, also from Greece, in 500BC; to name just a few.
All these personages, including the Christian Christ, had very similar lives and ministries that ended with sacrificial death, three days entombed and triumphant resurrection.
It's an old, old tradition adopted by one culture after another from the time of Horus in Predynastic Egypt, circa 6000 BC.

I could, I suppose, give you chapter and verse on the whys and wherefores of the story's astrological parallels and how such a set of circumstances have had such a recurring relevance throughout varied human civilizations but that's a tale for another time. (or not)

But the pure and simple business of resurrection offers hope. A hope in the possibility of something other. A hope in a life after death. A hope that there is much more to this plane of existence than many of us know.
And that, I suppose, is what Easter is all about; hope.

Happy Easter my friends.