Easter Weak

 

“Tuesday before Easter — Jesus reasoned with the unreasonable on the Temple Mount. Judas took the cash. Jesus returned to the Garden…….preparing His heart, mind and Spirit for what He knew was coming Friday….. (Thank you, Lord)”

These are the words of my brother, Steve Faulkner, on his facebook status. I read them and thought about what I had to deal with today. Rain, and more rain. A friend who loves to shop and felt the pressure of my impatience even though I had agreed to take her, more emotional energy expended in a problem among friends, and the day to day stuff of studying, preparing to teach, and wife, Mom-Mom and mother. Compared to Christ’s last Tuesday in the flesh, my day was a walk in the park!

To look at the life of Christ really can put our own “troubles” into perspective. This was not one of my better days but it was not at all bad compared to His. But He didn’t count it a bad day. You see He came to do His Father’s will and He was pleased to do it. In John 14:31 Jesus said, “but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”

This made me wonder if the world would know that I love His Father by the way I acted and lived today. I didn’t face a single unreasonable person plotting to take my life. No one took money to betray me or even threatened to betray me. I’m looking forward to a great celebration with my family on Sunday- Jesus was looking forward to the pain and agony of betrayal and crucifixion. He was doing exactly as his Father had commanded him.

Are you and I doing exactly what God commands us? Has he commanded anything as difficult for us as He did for Jesus? Hardly. Why do we complain so about our circumstances? Why are we so discontent with what He has given us when the Son of man had no place to lay His head?

Jesus’ death and resurrection constitutes a great part of the Good News of His gospel. I, for one, had to be convinced that I was a sinner deserving of the punishment – yes the death – that Jesus took for me on the cross. If you haven’t seen that this is true for you ask God to show you your sin. If you sincerely want to see it He will show you as He did me. Brace yourself. It’s true that there isn’t anyone ever who is sinless except Jesus Christ and He willingly went to the cross to take my punishment and yours. That is the good news that shows us the way to heaven.

What are you looking forward to this weekend? Is Easter about bunnies and colored eggs or is it an opportunity to worship the Lord Jesus Christ for His sacrifice so we can be saved?

On Thursday Jesus had His Last Supper with His disciples. Then He went out and prayed that God would take the cup from Him if it was His will. It was not God’s will to take that cup from Jesus. God loves us so much that He gave His Son, the Bible says this was in the place of those who believe in Him, so we could live. Jesus paid the penalty we deserve because of our sin.

Our sin was put on Jesus and He died for it. We are righteous before God if His blood was shed for us. This is why God forgives the sin of believers in Jesus Christ. If we say we have no sin then his death would not be for us. Those who see no sin in themselves are doomed because they deny the work of Christ on their behalf.

The events leading to the death of Christ were awful. He died a terrible, slow death for our sin – being obedient to the Father. But, on Sunday He arose from the dead! He lives so we can live too. This is the best news, this is our salvation. Are we grateful? So grateful that others see our love for the Father in our obedience?

His is risen! He is risen indeed! (Thank you Lord!)

Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24) this Resurrection Day.