This season always brings to my mind Ecclesiastes 7:1 which says "...the day of death (is better) than the day of one's birth." This sounds very odd to our natural ears as we live in this world, but Solomon has something here. While Jesus' birth brought the Promise into this world, it was His death, His burial and, most importantly, His resurrection that fulfilled that Promise of reconciliation between God and man.
Living He loved me,The prophesy of Salvation is threaded throughout the Bible from Old Testament through the New Testament. Mankind has been looking forward to this Salvation since the fall of (Eve and) Adam. The promise of Redemption has been on the mind of God since He pronounced sentences to Eve, Adam and the serpent. God has always given man a spirit that longs and seeks Him, though not all do.
Dying He saved me,
Buried He carried my sins far away,
RISING He justified freely forever!
One day He's coming, O GLORIOUS DAY!
Many Christians call this time Easter, although our traditions and customs greatly differ from those of the original Pagan celebrants of the holiday Easter. Easter eggs and bunnies and baskets with all the trimmin's have nothing to do with the joyously solemn occasion of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. There seems to be a growing movement of Christians calling this Resurrection Day instead, leaving the more frolicsome customs back to our secular participants.
There is nothing wrong with this, nothing at all. What a way to experience the fullness of the Resurrection in our lives! We are reconciled to God and living in the age of grace! All we need to do is accept His gift! He is the ultimate and perfect sacrifice, and He did this willingly, with us on His mind. We are living in the New Testament because He IS the New Testament. We have new life (eternal and earthly) because of His willing sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:8-28
The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all
was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet
standing:
Which was a figure for the time then present, in which there were
offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the
service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Which stood only in the meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of
this building:
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?
And for this cause he is the mediator of the NEW TESTAMENT, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were
under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the
TESTATOR.
For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth.
Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without
blood.
For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to
the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool,
and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people.
Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto
you.
Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the
vessels of the ministry.
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission.
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens
should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these.
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are
the figures of the true; but unto heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us:
Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth
into the holy place every year with blood of others;
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Jesus' message of hope and salvation for us all would not exist if it were not for His Resurrection. Look at 1 Corinthians 15 to see what I mean. This hope is the Christian's Easter Story. He is our solid rock from old. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we can have life everlasting, removing sin, reconciling God and man again. God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whoseover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
These are just a couple of hymns that pop into my mind. There are many, many more. I daresay that we could not finish singing by the end of today. The Lord wants us to worship Him, that's an easy "assignment" for me. My heart is filled with such praise and thanksgiving that it can't be contained. Enjoy this special time with the Lord, your family and friends; and if that includes an Easter egg hunt and a spiral cut ham for dinner after a sunrise worship, remember to do all of these things for the Glory of God. Last night my sons began our remembrance with Resurrection Day Story Cookies. Enjoy!
Happy Easter! Have a most blessed Resurrection Day!
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