“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6
There will be a time when we call on the Lord and it will be too late! Our time will have passed and we will be separated from God and his presence for ever and ever, for all eternity future!
Easter is this weekend and it is my favorite time of the year. Easter brings newness. New season, new life outdoors-trees budding, flowers sprouting up, animal life comes out from hibernation. Usually new clothes in bright new shades.
As a girl I didn’t know Jesus and we didn’t attend church but we did celebrate Easter with a huge meal and an egg hunt at a relative’s house. It was so much fun to get together with some of my cousins and spend almost the whole day together playing, eating, egg hunting, discovering what was inside the eggs, and getting unique prizes from my uncle. We would then re-hide the eggs for each other to find. We did this until dark because spring break was usually the week after and the time change had recently happened and we enjoyed every bit of sunlight.
I remember thinking to myself as a child, there has to be more to this “Easter” thing than Easter bunnies who filled my basket with candy and goodies, egg hunts, silly hats and gloves that I’d seen in Hills and K-Mart while we were there to get out picture taken with a guy in a rabbit suit in a large wicker chair. Even then God was pursuing my heart. Praise Him!
The great news to me and every person is, yes there is more to this Easter thing and his name is Jesus!
Biblical truths as we approach Easter
- Easter is about redemption, salvation, and new life. New life because of Jesus and what he did to save us. We all are in need of a Savior and now is the time to realize that before it is too late. The Lord has numbered all of our days and if we have not repented of our sins and placed our faith and trust in Him before our last day, my friend, it will be too late to call on Him. “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
- Jesus was born on our behalf. He lived a sinless life, and was crucified for us. Surely he took up OUR wickedness/pains/griefs/sins and carried OUR sorrows/sickness/diseases but he was pierced for OUR rebellion/transgressions and he was crushed for OUR iniquities/sins/immorality; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds/death/burial/resurrection we are healed. Paraphrased from Isaiah 53:4-5 Alleluia! What a promise to hold onto. Easter is a grand celebration of his victory over death and the grave. He was raised to life again to bring us new life and better than just life…Life eternal in heaven with the Heavenly Father and Jesus by his side. Jesus says in John 14:6, ” I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- Easter is better known as Resurrection Sunday. The day we pause and ponder what his life,. death, and resurrection means to us personally. It is a very bittersweet to deeply think about because life and death are heavy subjects but we do not have to face death with any sense of fear whatsoever! If we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus himself. Even with death for this body, comes new life in Paradise for all who believe.
- Remember and remind yourself often, ” for he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors,” Isaiah 53:12b. Jesus intervened to save us. Every last one of us. Every unworthy, undeserving sinner like you and like me. There is nothing we could ever do to save our selves. That’s the meaning of Easter! He lived and died, so that we can live and live. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Do you get that? Jesus wants us to not only live, but to live life in large quantities, live plentifully, to the extreme! That really puts a smile on my face and makes my heart happy! He wants us to be thriving, enjoying, loving, sharing, caring and in doing so, we are doing all of these things for those around us. We are shining His light for all to see His good work, and in that, we glorify Him!
