Easter: It’s All About Jesus

What do you think about when you hear the word Easter? Does your mind entertain thoughts of springtime, bunny rabbits, and colored eggs? When I was a little girl, Easter was an opportunity to get a new dress and new shoes, maybe even a new hat and pretty white gloves. I always looked forward to getting my Easter Sunday outfit. And Mom would color Easter eggs for my brothers and me to find.

But I also remember hearing the story of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those of us who grew up in the church have heard the account many times. Don’t let the familiarity of the story cause you to lose sight of the wonderful salvation provided for us. Let’s review what happened:

· Mankind was lost, separated from God with no hope of redemption.

· Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, God’s only begotten Son, was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life.

· Jesus willingly offered Himself to die by crucifixion, taking our sins to the cross with Him.

· After three days in a borrowed tomb, Jesus arose from the dead.

· Because Jesus lives, we can accept Him into our hearts, be saved from our sins, and live eternally with Him.

No matter what kind of life you have lived, Christ died for you. You are not beyond redemption. You are not beyond the reach of His love. Accepting Christ does not mean that everything in your life will suddenly become perfect. But it does mean that you will have a peace inside that you have never known before, and the assurance that you can now look forward to eternity.

The Bible says that for the joy that was set before Him Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 2:2). I believe Jesus looked into the future and saw the results of His death and resurrection; He saw those who would accept His gift and come into His family. And because of that He was able to endure the cross.

Jesus is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). I am so thankful He is in my life. I am thankful that God desired relationship with us so much that He was willing to send His Son. And I am thankful to Jesus that He was willing to die a cruel death to buy our redemption, and that He arose from the dead so that we can live also!

Scriptures for Reflection

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:7-9)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Love With His Love

Last Sunday, my husband preached a message about love.  We as Christians are familiar with the fact that we serve a God of love, and that He expects us to love.  The message inspired me to search my heart and review my own actions in light of what the Word of God says on the subject.

During his sermon, my husband told the story of a minister who stood in his pulpit one Sunday, looked very slowly and deliberately over the congregation, and delivered a powerful, one-word sermon: "Love!"  So much is contained in that one word.  If we do what it says—if we love—then our actions will prove to others that they are loved.  The Word of God tells us "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . ." (John 3:16).  God showed His love to us by His action: He gave His Son; then Jesus showed His love by His action: He gave His life on the cross. 

The Word not only says that God loves us; it says that He is Love (1 John 4:8). And that we are to imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1). As we follow Him and imitate Him, love is to flow from us.  Our human love is imperfect and could never live up to what God wants from us.  So how do we love the way He commanded?  We love with His love.  The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5).  If you are a child of God, then you have His love.  The Word says so.  It's just a matter of getting the love to others. 

Our own love is imperfect.  It is selfish and self-serving.  Our human love is often an "arms-length" love.  We say we love, but we don't want to get too close.  We don't want to get our hands "dirty."  It is easy to look at someone and say, "I love you."  Harder to get down in the grime of their lives and really love them.  In I Corinthians Chapter 13, the love chapter of the Bible, the King James Version uses the word "charity."  Charity is really love in action.  If you say you love, but there is no action, have you really loved?  The love I'm writing about today is a verb.  A verb is an action word.  Many of us have an impersonal kind of love that really isn't love at all.  It looks good on the surface, but it doesn't go very deep and doesn't cause us to do anything.

As I contemplated this, I came up with my own definition of love: Compassion that causes action.  Jesus looked upon the people to whom He ministered and had compassion on them, and out of His compassion, miracles occurred.  Only God can give that kind of love.  It is shed abroad or poured out in our hearts. He has given us plenty of it, but often the flow of that love is impeded by our bitterness over past experiences, our fear of rejection, our fear of being hurt.  More than anything, it is selfishness that keeps us from giving away love.  We want to protect ourselves.  Jesus gave away His love and died in the process.  It wasn't easy.  He poured His whole life into loving humanity.  And He wants us to be like Him.  He wants us to tap into that love that has been poured into our hearts and then pour it out to others.

Father, help us to love with Your love!

Scriptures for Reflection

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. (Ephesians 5:1, NIV)

. . . the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)

So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. (Matthew 20:34)