A Time To Celebrate

The Easter holiday is tomorrow.

For every believer in Jesus this is a time to celebrate the resurection of Jesus!

Fortunately we are on this side of the resurrection. Over 2000 years ago they weren't on this side.

They had to live through the dark period of watching Jesus being arrested and tortured. Then witnessing him dying in the most horrible way on the cross. He was then placed in a tomb. As the stone was rolled into place to close the tomb, I can imagine all of his followers hopes may have been rolled away too.

Some hid in fear from the authorities, not sure of what was going to happen to them. I mean, imagine, your leader was just tortured and killed. Who was next?

I wonder, as they sat in hiding, if they asked themselves the big question of "Why?"

Have you ever asked that question? I have.

There are times in life that it just doesn't make sense how something so painful could happen. Why?

There have been times in life when a door is closed in my face, and I stand there wondering why?

There are times I have worked so hard to do good, and yet it turns out bad. Why?

Relationships bite the dust. Dreams seem to disappear. A diagnosis changes your life. A death. Job loss.

Why? Why? Why?

I think, back then, when those people were hiding and afraid of what the authorities may do to them, at least one of them had to be asking that question.

And to add salt to the wound, one of them in their tight knit group betrayed Jesus and then killed himself. Not only is Jesus dead, but their friend betrayed them and is dead. Why? For some silver? Why?

Then there is Peter, who tried to do the right thing, and followed Jesus even after he got arrested. Peter blew it by acting like he didn't know Jesus. He had to be asking himself, why did I do that?

When John- who stayed true to Jesus from the arrest to Jesus's death- came into the room the followers were hiding in, did the followers ask themselves, why? Why couldn't I have been like him? Why did I hide? Why didn't I stick around when Jesus may have needed me? Why could John do it and I couldn't?

Questions in those situations rarely get answered in the way we want them to. Even after I got a clear cut reason as to why I miscarried, I still questioned why it had to happen in the first place. I prayed and prayed for a child. Why was I given a child I never got to hold? Why did it end this way?

Even if someone explained why they have cancer, why they have a disease, why a storm tore their life apart, there would still be the question, but why did it have to happen this way?

During the horrible events 2000 years ago...there was a wonderful reason to all of the painful why's.

Their why questions were given an absolute answer that changed the lives of every person in the world for ETERNITY.

In that awful mess, God who always bring's good in all situations, brought good. Did God cause those things man did? No. Man had choices, and man did those things, but...despite people's failings, God doesn't fail. God pushed through man's bad choices. Jesus never rebuked them. He had a plan. He forgave them.

God brought good. God brought life. God brought a gift into the darkness that is an eternal gift.

Jesus died and rose again, people can now live eternally with God, if they believe and receive this wonderful gift.

Through all of the torture and death, GOD brought life!

On this side of the grave. We know what happens.

We know the things Jesus let man do to Him, he did it so he could conquer the power death had over us, and give us eternal life. 

He pushed right through all the sin to bring us this gift.

He did it for ME!

He did it for YOU!

Wow!

I believe.

Do you believe?

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