AS A CHILD, EASTER WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAYS. WE GOT A WEEK OFF OF SCHOOL. WE ATE BOILED CRAWFISH ON GOOD FRIDAY. WE WENT TO BED EARLY ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND WOKE UP TO AN EASTER BASKET FULL OF CANDY ON SUNDAY MORNING! WE WORE OUR NEW EASTER OUTFITS TO CHURCH AND HID BRIGHTLY COLORED EGGS ALL AFTERNOON ON EASTER SUNDAY. EASTER WAS AWESOME! IN FACT, WE STILL DO ALL OF THE SAME THINGS EACH YEAR. DONT GET ME WRONG, I LOVE THE IDEA OF PASTEL EASTER BUNNIES, PLASTIC EGGS AND ALL SORTS OF CHOCOLATE. BUT I AM WRITING MY "NOTE" TODAY FROM SOMEWHAT OF A DIFFERENT ANGLE. I WANT TO REMIND MYSELF AND OTHERS OF THE TRUE MEANING OF THIS WONDERFUL HOLIDAY.
WE OFTEN FEEL STRESSED AND SCARED. STRESS AND FEAR OF THE FUTURE ARE COMMON OCCURANCES IN EVERYDAY LIFE. BUT, THINK FOR A MOMENT OF THE STRESS AND FEAR JESUS WAS FEELING THIS ENTIRE WEEK OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT MY PROBLEMS SEEM SO SLIGHT WHEN PUT IN THIS PERSPECTIVE. JEUSU KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. NONE OF US CAN EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE EMOTIONS HE MUST HAVE FELT.
WE ALL KNOW THAT JESUS WAS BEATEN AND NAILED TO THE CROSS. WE ALL KNOW THAT HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY. WE HAVE TAUGHT OUR CHILDREN THAT WE CELEBRATE EASTER BECAUSE THATS THE DAY THAT JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD IN ORDER TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. PLAIN, SIMPLE, PRETTY.
IN REALITY, JESUS WAS MOCKED, RIDICULED, SEVERELY BEATEN AND ABANDONED BY ALL OF HIS FRIENDS. THE WHIP USED ON JESUS WAS MADE OF LEATHER STRAPS ENTWINED WITH METAL AND BONE. HE WAS BEATEN BEYOND RECOGNITION. HIS CROWN OF THORNS COVERED HIS ENTIRE SCALP AND WAS BEATEN ONTO HIS HEAD. HE WAS FORCED TO CARRY HIS OWN CROSS OF CRUCIFIXION FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES AFTER HIS BRUTAL BEATING. IN LUKE 22:44, WE ARE TOLD THAT HIS SWEAT BECAME LIKE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD FALLING DOWN TO THE GROUND. ONCE JESUS MADE IT TO MOUNT CALVARY, 7 INCH NAILS WERE DRIVEN THROUGH THE BONES OF HIS WRIST AND THROUGH HIS FEET. HE WAS OFFERED VINEGAR FOR HIS THIRST! HE DIED A SLOW AND HORRIFIC DEATH UP THERE ON THAT CROSS. AND PEOPLE STOOD AROUND AND WATCHED. AND LAUGHED. AND CHEERED.
WE ARE SO UNWORTHY OF HIS SUFFERING. GOD ACTUALLY SENT HIS ONLY SON HERE TO EARTH TO SAVE ALL OF MANKIND. HE KNEW THE CRUCIFIXON WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A MARVELOUS RESURRECTION! JESUS MAY HAVE PHYSICALLY DIED IN HORROR, BUT HE AROSE IN SPLENDOR! IMAGINE THE AMAZEMENT, JOY AND HAPPINESS HIS FOLLOWERS FELT ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING! THE MENTAL IMAGES I HAVE OF THAT STONE BEING ROLLED AWAY TO REVEAL AND EMPTY GRAVE LEAVES ME SPEECHLESS! THIS FEELING OF NEW LIFE, OF JESUS BEING CONFIRMED AS SAVIOR IS WHAT EASTER MEANS TO ME!
THANK YOU LORD FOR SENDING US YOUR ONLY SON! THANK YOU JESUS FOR DYING ON THAT CROSS FOR ME! THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING SO UNSELFISH AND FOR LOVING US ALL UNCONDITIONALLY. THANK YOU FOR THE RESURRECTION!!!!!!
WE OFTEN FEEL STRESSED AND SCARED. STRESS AND FEAR OF THE FUTURE ARE COMMON OCCURANCES IN EVERYDAY LIFE. BUT, THINK FOR A MOMENT OF THE STRESS AND FEAR JESUS WAS FEELING THIS ENTIRE WEEK OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT MY PROBLEMS SEEM SO SLIGHT WHEN PUT IN THIS PERSPECTIVE. JEUSU KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. NONE OF US CAN EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE THE EMOTIONS HE MUST HAVE FELT.
WE ALL KNOW THAT JESUS WAS BEATEN AND NAILED TO THE CROSS. WE ALL KNOW THAT HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY. WE HAVE TAUGHT OUR CHILDREN THAT WE CELEBRATE EASTER BECAUSE THATS THE DAY THAT JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD IN ORDER TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. PLAIN, SIMPLE, PRETTY.
IN REALITY, JESUS WAS MOCKED, RIDICULED, SEVERELY BEATEN AND ABANDONED BY ALL OF HIS FRIENDS. THE WHIP USED ON JESUS WAS MADE OF LEATHER STRAPS ENTWINED WITH METAL AND BONE. HE WAS BEATEN BEYOND RECOGNITION. HIS CROWN OF THORNS COVERED HIS ENTIRE SCALP AND WAS BEATEN ONTO HIS HEAD. HE WAS FORCED TO CARRY HIS OWN CROSS OF CRUCIFIXION FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES AFTER HIS BRUTAL BEATING. IN LUKE 22:44, WE ARE TOLD THAT HIS SWEAT BECAME LIKE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD FALLING DOWN TO THE GROUND. ONCE JESUS MADE IT TO MOUNT CALVARY, 7 INCH NAILS WERE DRIVEN THROUGH THE BONES OF HIS WRIST AND THROUGH HIS FEET. HE WAS OFFERED VINEGAR FOR HIS THIRST! HE DIED A SLOW AND HORRIFIC DEATH UP THERE ON THAT CROSS. AND PEOPLE STOOD AROUND AND WATCHED. AND LAUGHED. AND CHEERED.
WE ARE SO UNWORTHY OF HIS SUFFERING. GOD ACTUALLY SENT HIS ONLY SON HERE TO EARTH TO SAVE ALL OF MANKIND. HE KNEW THE CRUCIFIXON WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A MARVELOUS RESURRECTION! JESUS MAY HAVE PHYSICALLY DIED IN HORROR, BUT HE AROSE IN SPLENDOR! IMAGINE THE AMAZEMENT, JOY AND HAPPINESS HIS FOLLOWERS FELT ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING! THE MENTAL IMAGES I HAVE OF THAT STONE BEING ROLLED AWAY TO REVEAL AND EMPTY GRAVE LEAVES ME SPEECHLESS! THIS FEELING OF NEW LIFE, OF JESUS BEING CONFIRMED AS SAVIOR IS WHAT EASTER MEANS TO ME!
THANK YOU LORD FOR SENDING US YOUR ONLY SON! THANK YOU JESUS FOR DYING ON THAT CROSS FOR ME! THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING SO UNSELFISH AND FOR LOVING US ALL UNCONDITIONALLY. THANK YOU FOR THE RESURRECTION!!!!!!
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