Easter: The Season of the Resurrection of Jesus

The Fullness of Time

by Wesley Hill

"He is risen indeed!"

Easter Sunday is the holiest day of the year, a day when even those who don't usually observe the Christian calendar or attend liturgical churches greet each other with the proclamation "Christ is risen!"

But Easter is more than a day—it's a season even longer than Lent. In fact, for the Christian who has died with Christ and been brought to life in him, Easter is the new, joyous, and radical way of living. The world is turned upside down. In this short volume, priest and New Testament scholar Wesley Hill explores the history and significance of Easter for the church and for our own spiritual formation.

This volume of the Fullness of Time series offers readers

An accessible, digestible introduction to the history and practice of the season of EasterPractical application of the Scriptural story and theology of Easter to our own spiritual formation, andA helpful contextualization of the Easter season into the context of the rest of the church calendar.Each volume in the Fullness of Time series invites readers to engage with the riches of the church year, exploring the traditions, prayers, Scriptures, and rituals of the seasons of the church calendar.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology, Christian, Faith, Christianity, Spirituality, Religion

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2025

About the author

Wesley Hill (PhD, University of Durham) is assistant professor of biblical studies at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and author of the much-discussed book Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. He is on the editorial board of and is a columnist for Christianity Today. He also contributes to Books & Culture and First Things.

Reviews

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Season of Easter (Eastertide) is 50 Days, from the Resurrection to the Ascension. This book walks the reader through this time sharing history, celebrations and the significance of the events. I never realized that many churches baptize during this time. Through story and scripture we go all the way back to the first Easter. One question many people ask is why Easter is not on the same day every year and Wesley Hill explains how it became a moveable feast. The final chapters shared about Pentecost and the Ascension, which are extremely important in the Christian faith, but many people aren't even aware of these days or the importance of them. This was a wonderful read during the lead up to Easter and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Easter Season, as well as to do some personal meditation upon the various important moments during this time.

[Ashley Hoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written, I think it’s great for new believers and people who are just starting out to explore Christianity. I highly recommend it.

[Natalie Herr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezed through this little meditation on the Easter season. A perfect way to kick off Eastertide! I loved the chapter on the ascension and loved the overall encouragement to keep the Easter celebration going for the full 50 days. Easter is our high holiday!

[Meghan Safstrom Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book so far from the whole series! Hill wrote & wove this together beautifully; I cried and rejoiced and hoped.

[Lance Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m biased, but I think Wes, and his books, are pretty great. <3

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (= good)

I know it’s silly to select a quote from the book which turns out actually to be a quote from a different book, but I think this is pretty great. It’s taken from John Stott’s Basic Christianity:

The most striking feature of the teaching of Jesus is that he was constantly talking about himself. It is true that he spoke much about the fatherhood of God and the kingdom of God. But then he added that he was the Father's "Son," and that he had come to inaugurate the kingdom. Entry into the kingdom depended on [people's] response to him. He even did not hesitate to call the kingdom of God "my kingdom." This self-centeredness of the teaching of Jesus immediately sets him apart from the other great religious teachers of the world. They were self-effacing. He was self-advancing. They pointed men away from themselves, saying, "This is the truth, so far as I perceive it; follow that." Jesus said, "I am the truth; follow me." The founder of none of the ethnic religions ever dared to say such a thing... The great question to which ... [Jesus'] teaching led was, "Who do you say that I am?"

Bob wrote a great review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Susan Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t raised in the church. Being saved as a late teen, growing in faith in evangelicalism, the church calendar and holidays were foreign to me. I’ve so appreciated this thorough and approachable expiration of the Easter season. I hope to always be a celebrator of this rhythm in the church calendar!

[Sarah Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!" - Lesslie Newbigin, quoted on p. 104

A beautiful and profoundly helpful little book on the Resurrection, the season of Easter Tide (from Easter Sunday to Pentecost), and why it all matters.

[Kayti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little book I started on Easter Sunday, reflecting on the season of Eastertide. Small but rich. I am encouraged to postpone any Easter celebration until lent is over and to continue the celebration until Pentecost!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was such a beautiful book

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely little guide to this joyous season.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in The Fullness of Time series, Easter does not disappoint. I have been enjoying this series ever since I read the book on Advent, by Tish Harrison Warren, and I have now read that one twice. A brief description of the series in the back of this volume says, "Each volume in the Fullness of Time series invites readers to engage with the riches of the church year, exploring the traditions, prayers, Scriptures, and rituals of the seasons of the church calendar.

I believe Wesley Hill has done a great job of writing about Easter. For those of us in the liturgical tradition, Easter is much more than just a day. In fact, the Easter season is actually longer than Lent, lasting from Easter Sunday until Pentecost, fifty days later. And, as Lent involves fasting, Easter involves celebrating.

Hill starts us off by describing an Easter Vigil, almost twenty years ago, in England, at the Cathedral Church in Durham, where the bishop was N.T. Wright. This vigil lasted until dawn, and just before sunrise, the bishop shouted, "Remember your baptism!" Then, "as the circular rose window began to let in the first fingers of sunlight to touch our upturned faces, the bishop - finally - yelled out the Easter acclamation: 'Alleluia! Christ is risen!'"

The congregants yelled back "He is risen indeed!" and proceeded to grab noisemakers of any kind they could find. "The nave suddenly resembled a football stadium, with whoops and hugs and smiles and cheers." And that's just the introduction. He also quotes Beth Maynard, a modern convert from atheism, who said, "The liturgy . . . exists not to educate but to seduce people into participating in common activity of the highest order, where one is freed to learn things which cannot be taught." As a somewhat recent convert to Lutheranism, I rather like that description. I, too, have been "seduced" by the liturgy, as it has become one of the more important aspects of my life.

A short book, with only five chapters, an intro, and a conclusion, this book weighs in at less than 120 pages, including end notes. So just like its counterparts in the series, it is a quick read. But it is anything but shallow. In the first chapter, Hill focuses on the first easter, as described by all four Gospels. Chapter two focuses almost entirely on baptism, and includes a beautiful baptismal tale of a boy named Euphemius (fictional, but still beautiful). In many traditions, I have learned, baptisms are common both during Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday. "Baptism," he says, "you might say, is the way believers come to experience, not just assent to, the reality of Easter." And Luther emphasized baptism, frequently saying, "I am baptized!" when confronted by the devil "or to his own troubled conscience at any time when shame or fear bared its fangs." Baptism should never be something that fades away, with age.

Chapter three focuses on Easter as a season, not just a day, also focusing on the joyous nature of the celebration. Chapter four looks at the inclusion of readings from the book of Acts in the lectionary for the season of Easter, replacing the Old Testament readings that are featured for the rest of the year. And the fifth chapter takes a brief look at that fiftieth day after Easter, Pentecost.

The conclusion features four ways that the "Spirit of the risen Jesus makes Easter come alive again and again in and among us." First is in understanding Jesus. We note that the disciples constantly misunderstood Jesus's mission and teachings . . . until after His resurrection. Second is in finding hope. We find that our "fellow sufferer" who understands us is presently alive and able to relate to us. Third is discovering purpose. Perhaps my favorite quote in the book is in this section. When a bishop was asked if he was hopeful or despairing about the effects of his ministry, his response was, "I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!" The fourth way is in persevering in prayer. "If all of this is true - if above and in and through the messy reality of history is the risen Jesus - then we can speak to him with the confidence that he is with us and will always act on our behalf."

"The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a quick lesson on the liturgy and traditions of Easter.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Explores the history and significance of Easter, not only as a day but as a season of celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.

“He is risen!” “He is risen indeed”

This call and response captures the incredible news of Easter, that the crucified One lives, that death is defeated, and in Him, we live. Yet, amid our flurry of Easter finery and family gatherings, the words lose their import. There is even a danger that they will become “ho-hum.”

That’s why the reading of Wesley Hill’s Easter was so good for me. Hill explores the history, traditions and significance of our Eastertide celebrations. And did you notice I said “Eastertide”? Easter isn’t one day of celebration after the forty days of Lent. It is a season of fifty days, filled with the appearances of the risen Lord, his restorative and commissioning work with the apostles, his ascension, culminating in Pentecost. In sum, it is a season of celebration and in this slim volume, Wesley Hill walks us through that season.

He begins with the Easter Vigils some churches hold where believers gather in the darkness of waiting. New believers are baptized, and then with the rising of the sun, the proclamation “He is risen!” rings forth to the accompaniment of noisemakers. Let the celebrations begin!

Hill takes us back to the first Easter and to the resurrection appearances, first to Mary and the other women, to most of the gathered disciple, then to Thomas, and finally the lakeside restoration of Peter, the repentant betrayer. He then explores the implication of the resurrection, that “we shall also live with Him.” He reminds us of our baptism, the picture of cleansing, dying, and resurrection as an ongoing reality into which we live. Hill delves into the history of how Easter became one of the “moveable feasts” of the church and all the ways saints have celebrated it. Hill then recounts how the proclamation of the resurrection has turned the world upside down throughout history.

Finally, the concluding chapters reflect on the significance of the Ascension and Pentecost. He notes how we’ve neglected the meaning of the Ascension. In ascending, the risen Lord takes up his rule over all things. Not only that, but as the Incarnate lord, he presents our humanity to the Father, going before us. Then, in Pentecost, we celebrate that Jesus has kept his promise to always be with us. He sends his Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us.

This slim volume makes for perfect devotional reading for Eastertide. Hill combines story with historical and theological reflection. And he invites us into a celebration lasting not one day but fifty. Most of all, he reminds us of how the awesome event of the resurrection turns the world upside down.

____________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Michele Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his lovely little book, Easter: The Season of the Resurrection of Jesus, Wesley Hill ties our struggle to celebrate the true meaning of Easter with a struggle that began in the first century: “Although it took some time to work out, the original witnesses of the risen Jesus came to understand that Jesus’ resurrection was the beginning, the preview and foretaste, of the long-awaited communal resurrection of the entire people of God.”

He describes his book as “program notes” for worship, and he begins in the first chapter by tethering Easter to the historical event of Christ’s resurrection. I especially appreciated the reminder that the Gospel accounts we’re so familiar with actually followed Paul’s trumpeting of the news in 1 Corinthians.

Chapter 2 reminds readers of the historical connection between Easter and baptism as the way we share in Jesus’s death and new life. This may come as a surprise to readers whose association with Easter is breakfast casseroles and ham dinners. Add to this the Easter surprise of Chapter 3 that it’s not merely a day, but an entire season comprising fifty days of joyous celebration!

Chapter 4 reminds readers that, from the outset, Easter has been a mission-driven event. The entire book of Acts effectively makes the case that without the resurrection, there’s no way the disciples would have “turned the world upside down.”

Chapters 5 and 6 break out of the mold of the traditional Easter story that fades out and goes to the credits somewhere in the vicinity of the tomb, ignoring Christ’s ascension and his great gift of the Holy Spirit. Both are massively encouraging and theologically significant events, and I appreciated Hill’s affirmation of the liturgical traditions of the church connected with the Ascension and Pentecost.

[Lghiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing the Fullness of Time series, my book club very appropriately read Easter this month. It is a short book. Not a devotional, not an academic tome, Easter begins with a very engaging introduction describing a Great Vigil of Easter service Wesley Hill attended at a beautiful cathedral in England twenty years ago. He then moves into the story of the first Easter when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He documents what he describes with Scripture references from all four Gospels weaving in important information about the context of the accounts.

Next, Hill discusses the liturgy used in Anglican and other churches relating baptism symbolically to the resurrection and the new life believers receive when they decide to follow Jesus. Easter is a movable feast, not occurring on the same calendar day each year. It is a complicated calculation, but Hill does share how to figure it out and the factors on which it is dependent. (Or, like me, you can just look the date up on the Internet or a calendar.)

Hill does not just leave us with a risen Lord. He moves on to how the church liturgy highlights the book of Acts which focuses on Jesus’ disciples. Their world has been turned upside down, but Jesus does not abandon them. When He ascends to be with God the Father in heaven, He leaves instructions for His followers to share the Good News and promises to send a helper, the Holy Spirit, to empower them.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have liked all of the books in the Fullness of Time series, but this is my favorite as it focuses on the most important holiday in our Christian calendar. Hill quotes Aidan Kavanagh who wrote, "The liturgy...exists not to educate but to seduce people into participating in common activity of the highest order, where one is freed to learn things which cannot be taught." I feel like this statement could also refer to this book. Unlike other volumes in the series, Hill doesn't spend a lot of time on the history of the celebration or the customs surrounding it. Rather he seduces readers into Easter and how it changed the world.

Review based on a digital ARC received through NetGalley.

[Kendall Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Let him Easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us, be a crimson-crested east.” (Original to Gerard Manley Hopkins, quoted in Easter by Wesley Hill).

This is the second book I’ve read in the Fullness of Time series. I love how approachable these books are, how you could come back to them again and again, year after year, and still gleam more. Easter is a short read (~100 small pages) and Hill mostly synthesizes quotes and reflections from other Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant saints, scholars, monastics, and lay people. A beautiful work, full of richness! Worth multiple reads over multiple Easter seasons.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice guideline for what Easter means and how we celebrate, including some ancient traditions that most of us have forgotten or set aside. The Resurrection of Jesus and the aftermath includes 2000 plus years of continual celebration, not just remembrance. Attentive to Scripture, this little book reminds us that Easter isn't about fleeing the real world, but becoming a community that serves the whole world, beginning with the poor, the disenfranchised, and the refugee. Easter fuels Social activism.

[Suzanne Kehlenbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easter Came Alive for Me

Wesley Hill’s Easter: The Season of the Resurrection of Jesus touched me deeply. It helped me see Easter not just as a day, but as a season full of hope, renewal, and joy. Hill’s writing is gentle, wise, and full of grace. I found myself slowing down, reflecting more, and feeling the presence of resurrection in everyday life. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone longing to experience Easter in a deeper, more meaningful way.

[T.K. CHAPMAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I've read in the Fullness of Time series, and it didn't disappoint. A little theology, a little history, a little devotional insight...all adds up to make a good read about the Easter season. I plan to get the whole series, which covers each season of the Church Year. They are lovely little hardback books and would be nice to display as a set.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with interesting perspectives on Easter and the 40-50 day Eastertide season. The strongest points Hill makes are about the first Easter, baptism, and the ascension. Chapter 3 honestly didn't seem to fit for me.

Looking forward to the Pentecost book!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good pocket book on a Christian holiday. I especially found the section on the Ascension meaningful. It is one of the clearest expositions on Jesus' "transphysicality" and what it means for our future.

[Tim Callicutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5] Another terrific addition to this series. It certainly opened up a larger world of Easter celebration for me, although I still don’t feel I left with the clearest of views of Easter as a liturgical season.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series and Easter did not disappoint. I loved learning about some of the history behind the Easter traditions and the importance of Easter to the Christian faith. I believe that all Christians should read The Fullness of Time series, including Easter.

[Justin Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy addition to the series. I most enjoyed the discussions of the importance of baptism and Christ’s ascension to the Easter season.

[Zach Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming book that meditates on Christ’s resurrection and what that means for our world. Quick read and filled with fascinating commentary.

[Davis Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love these little books

[Carrie]

This was a refreshing little read. I would like to read more in this series.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book synthesizes truths and ideas about Easter/Eastertide, but there weren't any "aha" moments like I have found in the other books in this series.

[Naomi Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great thoughts to contemplate. Writing style wasn’t my favourite.