As a kid, Easter was one of those holidays where I would count down the days leading up to the Sunday morning, just like with Christmas. I would go shopping with my mom for the perfect Easter Sunday outfit, brand new tie, and the Easter bunny would drop off a basket full of goodies at my front door.
There was always a reason to be joyful and 'hoppy' during this time of celebration!
However with college, I've been so caught up with studying for final exams and putting together big presentations and papers, I had almost forgotten that Easter was yesterday!
CHRIST IS RISEN!!! (He is risen, indeed.)
Romans 6:9-11
“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
As of Friday morning at 3:45am, I have been traveling with The Wartburg Choir from Waverly, Iowa to Minneapolis, Minnesota to Phoenix, Arizona and now to Los Angeles, California.
This past Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and of course, Easter Sunday, we (the choir) were able to sing praises among our new friends of the west with our national choir tour program "We Will Rise".
Oftentimes, I don’t think too much about Jesus dying on the cross for all of us, because it happened in the past, and I personally don't like to think of all of the gore and pain that came with Jesus' sacrifice. I like to think of the reason for why he did it.
But the pastor of Gloria Dei church in L.A. had a different take on that perspective.
Pastor David Mattson told all of us that, "Christ didn't die on the cross for all of us just to be remembered, and for us to say 'He has risen!'. He died on the cross and rose again for us to continually say to one another, 'He IS risen!'."
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Easter shouldn’t be a holiday that takes place one weekend or one day out of the entire year.
Just like Christmas, our culture has created a theme for loving ourselves more than loving the one who brought us here to love one another, and to thank Him ALWAYS for making this life possible here on Earth.
Easter should be a day to reflect on what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross, to look at what we have now, and to see what we can do with what we have now to take action AND MOVE!
I believe that if God sent His son to serve and to live for the people of this world, then we ought to do the same to honor Him.
Jesus already paid for our sins! HE PAID IT ALL! Every sin committed from the past, the present, and the future, because we know we're going to make mistakes.
And while I may say that Easter isn't all about us, it really IS all about us!
The reason for the season of Easter is to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made. The sacrifice was and is for us......to see what Christ did for us and to use that to further God's kingdom, not to glorify ourselves when life is all gooey and full of chocolate and rainbows.
Let us choose to remember that when we are more focused on ourselves and chocolate Cadbury eggs than we are focused on Christ, who was and is and is to come!
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Why do YOU continue to celebrate Easter?
2. What is one reason that you choose to live your life for something other than yourself?
3. How can you glorify Christ by being obedient during this beautiful time of the year, and even when it's not as beautiful of a time for you?
Pray......that Jesus' gift of life through death would continue to remind you and the people around you that He loves us so much! Pray that He would give you courage to live freely and passionately for Him and the sweet people He has placed in your life.
With that said,
Live, love, and be loved.
Comments