Thinking Ahead to Easter

I have always loved Christmas and Easter. When I came to Jesus the idea of a mighty, all powerful God willing to be born and die, for our sakes, was and still is, remarkable. What would possess such a powerful being to cram His holiness into human form? What great motivation moved that same being to go to a cross? Many say that it was His love for us. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

— John 3:16 (NASB)

Obviously, scripture concurs with the idea that God loves us. He loved us so much that He was willing to send His son to die for us, and not just die, but actually become human. That would be like me becoming an ant, so that I could save all the other ants from that shoe about to crush our hill. 

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

— John 15:13 (NASB)

What I find fascinating is that God didn't need to love us. I mean He could have gone on for another billion centuries, whatever that looks like in God time, and never created another living being. He was wholly perfect and, shall we say, content, in His God-head. He doesn't need us. He didn't create us because He was lonely and wanted someone to talk to. 

Photo credit StockSnap - Quino Al

Could it be that God created us for something much more relatable than just a desire to make something out of nothing? Maybe God created simply because He could. Perhaps His artistic nature wanted to make something tangible and shall we say earthy. I'm not an artist. I can draw a little bit and took a ceramics class in high school, but that's where my ability ends. However, I can write. When I finish a piece and I  reread it and am moved to tears then I think, "Dang! Your good!" This isn't a matter of pride, it is a matter of being able to use that creative force that lies in all of us.

We are made in His image, so I must believe that God is especially creative. Just look at the fish, birds, bugs and animals. Look at the millions of people in the world, and we are all different! Amazing! If you gave me a yellow, blue and red crayon, I would only be able to come up with a certain number of color combinations, but God....well, He not only colors outside the lines, but outside the entire box! 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull

I can just see God as He began that creative work called life, with all of it's complex DNA combinations and miracles at a cellular level. He had to be thinking, "Dang! Your good!" Ha, ha. Whether it be the complexity of the human eye being able to see or the return of salmon to their spawning ground without a GPS, God moved with creativity when He brought this world about. 

Photo credit StockSnap 

Now, try to imagine that the work of art you had just created wound up ruined. Would you have proceeded to pour your passion, your heart, your very essence into something you knew was going to get so messed up? God did! He knew that a serpent's whispered temptation and a human's lustful response would ruin all that He had spoken into existence. But with that knowledge He created a plan. A plan for our welfare. A plan for our salvation.

You see, just as we would do all in our power to preserve our creative efforts, or the creative efforts of others: think van Gogh, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Mozart, Handel. Bach, Beethoven, and so many more, God wouldn't just throw it all in the trash. He made a way for His creation to be redeemed. That redemption comes through Jesus Christ. 

As we look forward to Easter in a few weeks I hope you will take some time to think about Jesus and who He is. He is waiting for you. He loves you. He wants a relationship with you. 

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

— Romans 10:13 (NASB)

Those Who Gave it All

The spring of 2012 as my husband and I were discussing what we should do for our upcoming 25th Wedding Anniversary, he asked,

"Where would you like to go to dinner?"

Without a thought I responded, "London sounds like a good place!"

The above picture was taken in Dean's Park, just to the north of Minster Cathedral in York, Great Britain. The Kohima War Memorial was made to honor those members of the British Army's Second Infantry Division, who gave their lives to prevent Japan from invading India during WWII. The words are profound and give me cause to think.

When men and women join our military they do so with the knowledge in the back of their minds that they could, one day see combat. They must also reason, "If I see combat, I may be injured or even die." I know not everyone who signs up is mature enough to reason the act to its final possible conclusion, but when faced with war, most of our soldiers are willing to lay down their lives for others. I find this overwhelming. I can say, I am willing to die for my family, my spouse, my daughters, my son-in-law, and my grandson, but to say I am willing to die for people I don't even know....well, that gets a little disconcerting.

I mean, who are these people I have to be willing to die for? Are they nice? Are they dirty? Do they love their children? Are they abusive? Will they accept me if I move to their country? What if they don't like me? What if they laugh at me and my worthy cause? What if they spit at me? What if they decide, I am a threat? What if they gang up on me? Torture me? Decide I must die?

Isn't that exactly what many of our soldiers are doing? Giving their lives for people they don't know? People who may not care and may, in fact, hate them? I do realize many of the people in countries where our military has a presence are thankful and appreciative for what our soldiers are doing for them. But it is also the case that some of our military personnel have received less than a king's welcome.

In the same way, Jesus signed up for a tour of duty that was significantly lacking in royal perks. He was welcomed by a ragged band of shepherds, who most likely didn't get to shower and spruce up before they came to the stable. He was the son of a craftsman, not a prince, heir to a king. He worked with His hands and they were probably calloused. He lived with a people who were stubborn, unbelieving and manipulative. These same people gave him up to a wooden cross; a tortuous way to die. But He knew, just as our own soldiers do, that His sacrifice was for a higher purpose, a greater good. 

You see, you and I were the unknown people. We were and are the dirty, the sinful, the ones who abuse, murder and hate. But we are the greater good. We are the crown of creation, humanity. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

— John 3:16 (NASB)

God...

So loved...

That He...

Gave....

Son....

Look at each of those words and phrases separately. 

God...the Almighty, Perfect, Omnipotent, Beginning, End, Omniscient...being

So loved....the smelly, the dirty, the sad, the lonely, the happy, the lovely, the ugly...you...me...us

That He....a choice, His choice, His desire, His pleasure

Gave....put forth, lavished, bestowed, volunteered, benefited, contributed

Jesus....son, God-head, first born, emmanuel....Savior 

As we remember the events of this week that led Jesus to make that sacrifice let us do as directed by the Kohima memorial, let's tell the world that for their tomorrow Jesus gave His life on that day.

What is the Point of Easter?

We live in a day and age where sin is no longer called sin. We classify, categorize and explain it away; or we don't talk about it. It doesn't matter how we define it, what God called sin from the beginning of time is, in fact, still skipping around on planet earth, just like those dust bunnies lurking under your fridge. Sure you can sweep them away; suck them up in your Hoover, but before you know it they will be back, breeding and growing.

I mean, what is the point of Easter? Colored eggs? Candy? A new dress? All those things are great, especially in the context of family, but that is not what Easter is about. Easter is about Jesus. Christmas is about Jesus. One is about life and the other about the death that leads to life. Without Jesus there would be no Easter. So what was that all about? The blood sacrifice, demanded by God, paid for by His only Son....It was because of sin. There! I said it! It was because of disobedience. Jesus died and rose again because of anger, rebellion, pride, gluttony, murder, rape, gossip, addiction, adultery, bullying, incest and a plethora of others.

So today, in this month, when we think about, ponder and celebrate Easter, ask yourself, "Why?" I'm celebrating because I believe in a God who is so good, not only did He love me in my most pitiful, dark and sinful state, but He provided a way out of it.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 - NESV)

Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull

Exclusivity? Absolutely. Show me a belief system that is not is some way exclusive. But in Christianity we are not able to cross the gap that came about because of sin and it separates us from God. Only Jesus can do that. That is what Easter is all about.