easter

“The earth trembled at dawn of Sunday, the first day of the week. But the three women walking to the tombs outside Jerusalem hardly noticed that. When they came in view of the tomb, they saw that the stone has already been rolled back. The entrance stood open, dark and yawning and… empty. ”

- from a children’s book

Ever had a dream die? Or felt the anguish of something you cared so for or believed in with all your heart… as it ended? We’ve all experienced that from one time or another.

Now, let me ask you this. Have you ever lost something so dear, only to realize it wasn’t gone? From death to life. From darkness to light. Hope lives on. Joy returns. Anguish evaporates. Love wins.

“… He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matthew 27:60)

“the great sin of white north-american middle-class protestantism is shallow hopelessness, ‘cheap hope.’ we cannot be said to have a gospel because we refuse to know enough of the bad news to prepare our collective soul for the good. our insistence upon being and remaining positive and optomistic is what prevents us from exploring deeply the meaning of hope, biblically understood. we want to have easter sunday without good friday- or better, we desire a friday so ‘good’ that it is no longer for us a sybolic mode of identification with the suffering world.” [douglas j. hall, confessing the faith- 1998.]

Jesus Christ, I think upon your sacrifice
You became nothing
Poured out your blood.
Many times, I’ ve wonder at your gift of life
I’m in that place once again
Yes, I’m in that place once again

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You,
Once again I pour out my life

Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the Heavens, where one day I’ll bow
But for now, I’ll marvel at Your saving grace
I’m full of praise once again
Oh I’m full of praise once again

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life

Thank you for the cross
Thank you for the cross
Thank you for the cross, my friend

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life

-Matt Redman “Once Again“ 

“Everything Glorious”

As we march towards Easter, remember who makes everything glorious. In death, He is glorious. In life, He is glorious. Thank you Jesus for your death and resurrection.

It’s the end scene from Braveheart. I was at a conference where John Eldredge was speaking and he described this scene as the most accurate portrayle of Christ’s death (both symbolically and physically). He was beaten, broken, taunted and defamed, but it was all for one purpose. ”Freedom” says it all.

And the scene that follows the death. Men with the heart and charge of their leader, changed forever and giving it all in a fight. Freedom was given to us by Christ, but it’s our fight to claim it and keep it.

Thank you Lord today for your gift of freedom! 

Listening to our pastor’s Palm Sunday message, I was pondering upon what it would feel like to be a part of the procession welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. There must have been an amazing electricity - such expectation and anticipation running through the crowd. The heading in my Bible for this section (Luke 19:28-38) reads “The Triumphant Entry.” I think that’s about sums up what was going on that day.

The people had seen Jesus heal and perform miracles, they knew he was their Messiah. Only their definition of Messiah and His were vastly different. They expected a king to take over and liberate them as a people. They wanted a system change. They were looking for power.

Jesus makes his big entrance, then… nothing happens. Well, not nothing, but not what they expected.  The government didn’t change. He didn’t take his place on the throne. And the people with their expectations dashed would soon turn on Him. 

We are no different than them. We hear what we want to hear when it comes to the Lord. There’s a Jesus that we are comfortable with in our lives.  He’s usually more of a servant than a King to us. Kind of a Santa Claus Jesus. We sit on his lap and tell Him what we want. We seldom, if ever, fall at his feet in reverence. If He doesn’t do what we ask (pray) we lose heart and then, how often do we turn our back on Him.

He certainly came for liberation.

He came for transformation.

As we begin to focus on Easter, we must see Jesus for who He is, not what we want Him to be. This in no way diminishes Him. Putting Him in perspective of our own perception diminishes Him. Let us think upon Him as our King, Savior and God. Then that should remind us where we stand. We are simply servants thankful for the gift that was given to us on the cross and solidified Easter morning. Redemption is ours because of Him.