Happy Easter!

April 4, 2021

Happy Resurrection Sunday! He is risen! Jesus Christ has conquered the grave! Hallelujah!

On the eve of Passover, Jesus Christ willingly gave up His perfect life for you and me. He knew what was coming: the betrayal, the trial, the beatings, the crucifixion, and death. But He also knew what was on the other side, and the Bible tells us that he was able to endure the agony “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, couldn’t care less about the shame that people threw His way, the names He was called, the jeering and the taunting, because He knew what was coming, and why He was doing it. Jesus knew that He would be raised again on the third day, and ultimately be seated at the right hand of the Father, and it kept Him going til the end. He knew that He was doing it in place of you and me, and that He would be saving all of mankind; and that’s why He did it. He did it out of pure love.

Jesus was talking to His disciples in John 15: ^“12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” We have salvation, eternal life, peace and joy because He laid down His life for us, because He loved us so much. John 3:16 and 17: 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. ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “ God is love, of that I am sure.

How do you respond to such a great love? How can you ever say thanks for such an enormous gift? Well…one way is to accept it, to take that step of faith, and accept Christ as Savior and Lord of your life. I promise, (even better, He promises) He will never let you down! Another way is by loving others: 1 John 4: 19 – 21: “¹⁹ We love, because He first loved us. ²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother.” Having a bad day? Remember what Jesus did. Feel like saying something sharp and hurtful? Remember what Jesus did. His death and resurrection can put into focus those things in life that just bother us, and help us to overcome them and be more like Him. But first, you have to know Him as your Savior, so you can be born again and made a new creation.

There is much to say about this gift of salvation that has been so freely given to us from our God. But the message is always the same. God so loved…Jesus’ showed that greater love…He paid the ultimate price to save you and me by giving up His life on the cross. The Light of the world shines brightly today, because He is resurrected and lives in you and me when we believe in Him. Today, if you don’t know my Lord as your Lord and Savior, I pray that He will meet you where you are, touch your heart, and you will know Him and love Him, because He first loved you. And if you do already know Him, I pray that His light will burn brightly in your heart, and fill you with grace, love and gratitude. God bless you!