As Easter Sunday rapidly approaches, I begin thinking about how important this day is to myself and others around the world who believe Jesus Christ is the son of God. I begin thinking about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and realizing how significant His suffering is to my faith. I begin thinking about how I feel, knowing 2,000 years ago the son of God was beaten, broken, torn and publicly hung on a cross. The word that comes to mind as I write this blog, is “unworthy.”
I couldn’t imagine letting someone die for me. Jesus did not deserve that death, but he accepted it. With each nail that was driven through his body, our names were inscribed on it. Each drop of blood that hit the ground cleansed our sins. He suffered a horrible death; though, yes he was an incarnation of God, he was still human. He felt the pain and agony.
I couldn’t imagine letting a perfect being take my place on death row. That is exactly what Jesus did. We were serving a sentence which only resulted in a death penalty. Once Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we became cursed… but through Jesus we have been acquitted. Jesus bore our curse. I’m talking about a man who was an incarnation of God, took our place on death row. A man who suffered through every temptation that we could ever imagine being lead into, and yet did not sin. By definition, He was perfect, and he was ordered to death by people who hated him. Jesus, a sinless man took our place in hell, but on the third day during his death, Jesus, the son of God rose from the dead.
The resurrection of Christ is everything. If he had not risen from the dead, then he was just another prophet who believed in the law of Moses and served God. The resurrection is the plot twist, it is the saving grace, Jesus is not lying in a hole in the ground, or in a tomb. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven and took his rightful place at the right hand of God.
If Jesus had not risen from the dead, if he had not defeated death, if he had not died on the cross to take our place in hell, our faith is in vain. This is why Easter weekend means so much to Christians. Without the crucifixion, we would still have to be put to death. We do not deserve eternal life, period. But we have it because Jesus, God in the flesh, took our lashes and our nails and had his body broken, and took our place in hell. He did that so that we won’t have to. Then, when he rose from the grave he defeated hell, he defeated death in every sense of the word. Because of this selfless deed for us selfish sheep, we get to spend eternity in heaven. Easter reminds us that even though we are frail, hopeless and undeserving, our God thinks we are perfect enough to die for.
Nice job! Well done. Thanks for sharing your heart.
I was on the road with work on Good Friday. I found a Church and went to Mass but was a bit late so had to stand in the back. When it came time to kneel, I knelt on the stone floor (old Church!). Stand up and again back on my knees on the stone. As I get up the second time, a woman says, “I commend you on kneeling on the floor. They should have kneelers”.
I said, “They nailed Him to a cross. My knees are fine”