Good Morning and Happy Resurrection Day!
When my girls were growing up Easter was a rush. I mean we had to hurry, hurry, hurry kind of rush. I was up and making sure the baskets were hidden well. Even when they were in High school, in fact I am sure they would still like to look for their baskets. After baskets found and food consumed. It was time to dress, I mean DRESSED for church. Easter best, most years it would be a new dress if we could afford it. Have you ever tried to get three little girls all dressed in their best, or better yet listen and yelled at three teenage girls getting on their best, hair makeup and whatever? Oh, yes it was loud, and I will just let your imagination run. Then we would rush to church, the fight still on in the car most of the time. When at church I would love to say it was all wonderful and we were the perfect Christian family, nope. My family never put on airs. I am so glad God loves us right where we are. I am not sure that everyone saw us through the eyes of our Lord, but I Know God loved and loves us anyway. Once at church, there would always be a production of some sort involving music and readings. Which of course we were all involved in. Then it was off to lunch. Most of the time I would stop later in the evening and wonder what just happened. Thank God we all got the real meaning of Easter along the way.
So, if we can take a Charlie Brown moment and say can anybody tell me the real meaning of EASTER. I will say Paul can. Romans 6:23. That’s right we often circle back to this verse. “For the wages of sin is death but, the gift of God is Eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Easter is our celebration of Jesus’ completion of that gift. Jesus came to pay the price for the bad, awful, careless things we do. To pay that price He had to be born as one of us, human, He had to live and be tempted and feel all the sorrows and hurts we feel. He took three years to teach us all He could on how to be like Him and love like Him. After that, He suffered that worst beating, and emotional and mental abuse that ever was, then He was killed in the worse way that has ever been imagined. HE said, “IT IS FINISHED” They buried Him in a tomb. HE was gone. Then three days later, His heart started beating again, he came back to life. The victory over death had been completed. Christ IS ALIVE!! Then, now and forevermore. He made the way for the gift of eternal life. You can’t earn it, you don’t desire it, but He did it. All you have to do is say you know you have done wrong things, confess them to God. Say you are sorry. Tell God you accept the gift of Jesus as your Savior, Ask for His help to live for Him every minute of every day. God is hearing your prayers. He loves you and welcomes you into His family. That is what Easter is all about. Jesus is ALIVE in you and in me.