Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter

What if a loved one was convicted of a terrible crime and had to go to jail for 30 years?  Would you be willing to take his or her punishment?  What if they received the death penalty? Would you be willing to die in their place?  What about  a stranger who murders someone? Would you be willing to take their place?  I often ask a version of this question to children at church.  I ask them if they would be willing to take the punishment for a sibling, even a spanking, if their brother or sister did something wrong.  It is very rare that any one will volunteer that they would take the punishment for their sister/brother.  Romans 5:7 says, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:  yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die."  In other words, some people might be willing to die for a good person, but what about everyone else?  Thankfully, Romans 5:8 tells us something wonderful, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Regardless of how "good" or how "bad" we are, Christ took the place for each of us; to take the punishment for all of our sins. 

Try to imagine the weight of your own sin, and the actions and thoughts that you are ashamed of.  Now multiply that by every person who is, was and ever will be.  Imagine the pain that Jesus felt under that burden on the cross.  I've often wondered why He died so quickly.  Crucifixion is a long, slow, painful death, yet Jesus died in a relatively short time. I now think that it was because of the tremendous burden that He bore that day.  The overwhelming misery must have been crushing!

We remember Good Friday because of Jesus' death on the cross for our sins.  But we celebrate Easter because He rose again!  Our God is not dead!   1 Corinthians 15:3-4 tells us:  "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."   Just as was prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus is alive today!  Because of His sacrifice and resurrection, we can live with Him in Heaven if we believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior!

Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross that day to provide you with the gift of eternal life with Him in Heaven.  Romans 10:9 tells you how to accept that gift: "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."  If you have not already accepted Jesus as your Savior, please don't wait any longer!

God Bless!

1 comment:

  1. A beautiful, heartfelt post. Stopping by from FB group CBN/ also following.

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