“Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth,” the Ringmaster for the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus announces as the curtains open wide. Anticipation and excitement fills the air. The music plays loudly and the parade beings. The procession consists of clowns, trapeze artists, elephants, beautiful horses, dogs, lions, and tigers. The audience’s eyes are eventually drawn to the inner circle where the show begins.
Many people would say the circus is not necessarily the place to find the greatest show on earth. Perhaps the slogan would best fit a sunset over the Mediterranean Sea or the display of the Aurora Lights in the northern hemisphere. Many times the greatest show on earth has been found in my own back yard as I watch my children or grandchildren play. God has graciously granted individuals, through His creation, the ability to daily witness The Greatest Show on Earth.
But have you ever thought about The Greatest Hope? Many people know and have memorized John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Many people consider this the greatest verse when we look at biblical hope. God provided a way, through grace, for mankind to know The Greatest Hope. At Easter we remember all Christ did for us on the cross—the suffering, the agony. The blood shed for man’s sin-the supreme sacrifice. Many times at Easter we place the emphasis on Jesus’ death on the cross, but as Paul writes in the book of Romans, the greater emphasis is to be on the resurrection (Romans 1:4). This is what sets true Christianity apart from any other religion. Furthermore, Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3).
Easter morning produced both The Greatest Show on Earth and The Greatest Hope. Jesus said, to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this (John 11:25-26)?” Hallelujah what a Savior!
About Laura Leathers
Laura is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She is the founder of Tea Time Treasures, a ministry promoting Biblical Hospitality (www.teatimetreasures.net). Currently she is employed as an administrative assistant within a detention center—ministry in the marketplace. Laura received her Women's Ministry Certificate Advanced Degree from New Orleans Theological Seminary. She is a graduate of Speak Up with Confidence Seminars (Basic and Advanced) and CLASS (Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speaker Services). Over the years she has served as a Bible teacher, conference speaker and a free-lance writer.
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