Daily Devotion - Easter
What is the real meaning of Easter? Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we have been given victory over death and eternal separation from God, a covenant promise of forgiveness and grace
I realize now that the Easter celebration I grew up with was all about me: my appearance, my stash of goodies, my fun day. I’m not one to condemn any tradition that results in family togetherness and forming sweet memories, but perhaps there’s a better way.
Good Friday. The day we remember the Cross. Jesus' suffering. God's answer to our sin problem. And I ask Christians, "Why did Jesus have to die?"
The cross wasn't going to be easy, and God didn't want His Son to lose heart, so He sent these messengers to remind Him His coming decease would be a great victory.
Whether sorrow or serenity, we're subtly creating a legacy, weaving memories and painting strokes on our own portrait. The one our family will hold in their hearts.
After five years of suffering, Yolanda sat across a table from the source of her pain, the road-raging young man who caused the death of her sons. It was his chance to ask forgiveness, but he didn't.
"Away with this man!" were the very words so vehemently shouted by the assembly as they stood before Pontius Pilate on that day… the day we have all come to know as Good Friday.
Lent begins a time when many Christians prepare to celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death, by reflecting on our own sins which pierced Him. We have been the thorns in His crown.
In his best effort to protect his Messiah, Peter pulled his sword and severed an ear from the head of a soldier. Then Jesus made a highly unpredictable move. He touched and healed the man's ear!
As Roman soldiers were about to nail Jesus to the cross, the soldiers offered Him a drink of wine laced with myrrh, a painkiller. Christ on the cross refused the draft that would have numbed His sensibilities and lessened His pain. He refused to escape from reality.
When tragedy strikes, we often forget the suffering Jesus endured for our sakes. We get angry when life is painful and forget that nothing we will ever endure could even begin to compare to His suffering on the cross of Calvary.
We watched man kill the Son of God, we the Host of Heaven with tears in our eyes, and our swords drawn, stood there and watched man kill the Son of God. We would have attacked and destroyed them all, at His voice command, we would have, but He said, forgive them, and then He died.
Easter Sunday. To many it means the Easter bunny, a day of food and celebration. For some it is an obligatory church-attending holiday, after which life goes on as usual. How sad that we have so quickly forgotten the true meaning of Easter. Our God reigns!
Why would He choose to leave heaven's splendor to die in our place when it was us who were sinful and not Him? We cannot understand this, but the fact remains that He chose to lay aside his crown and royalty to take on the form of humanity for you and me.
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