Easter. The celebration of our Savior rising from the grave after being tortured to death.
after being crucified.
Jesus is risen.
HE IS ALIVE!
This past weekend I went through and read the stories that lead up to Easter in the 4 gospels. [Matthew, Mark, Luke & John]
It was a really neat experience.
a really hard experience.
reading about the person you are most fond of, the person you love the most in the whole world, being murdered. being slaughtered. becoming the ultimate sacrifice for everything I've ever done wrong. for everything I will ever do wrong. for everything everyone has & will ever do wrong. every sin.
it's tough.
especially knowing that my King humbled Himself like no other simply because He loves us. because He loves me.
the only person that should never have to humble Himself before anyone & He did.
now that's humbling. now that's true love.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus...
Sweetest name I know.
Fills my every longing.
Keeps me singing as I go.
Today, my church's pastor read the account of Jesus' death & resurrection out of Luke. [Luke 23:44-49; 24:1-6, to be exact]
This is a summary of what he talked about:
Making the Cross Beautiful
-The cross, in its original form was ugly. anything but beautiful.
-The day Jesus died, no one saw a wonderful cross. No one saw a beautiful cross.
They looked at a weapon. They looked upon an ugly broken tree.
-But Jesus transformed the cross in something beautiful. Something Christians everywhere use as a symbol.
-Just as God transformed the cross, He wants to change you into something beautiful.
The whole service this morning, a large wooden cross laid on the stage. Towards the end, every single person got the chance to make the cross beautiful by placing carnations in it. [I wish I had a picture. It was definitely something beautiful.]
I couldn't help but smile as the service faded to a close. It was just great.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death, come awake, come awake, come and rise up from the grave. & oh death, where is your sting? oh hell, where is your victory? oh church, come stand in the light. Our God is not dead. He's alive. He's alive!
Last night I read Galatians 2:20.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."This life I live is not my own, but my Creator's who I will freely serve everyday of my life.
with every breath I breathe.
I give Him my all.
I give it all to you, God. Trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me.
I am so thankful that my partner in this divine romance gave up His spirit and died a sinner's death, & then rose again, for us. for me. I love Him dearly. He is something beautiful.
& with Jesus living my life for me, I know it will truly be something beautiful.
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