Easter Sunday has now passed and with it often goes the excitement of the holiday. It’s in this special time I feel God calling us to reflect on the past week and press into his heart. Certainly the Resurrection changed everything and Jesus is now alive (woohoo!)- but what was the significance of the happenings leading up to this moment of jubilation? For me it starts with Friday, Good for us and painful for Jesus.
Sometimes we skip over Good Friday quite quickly, one reason can be that it is difficult to process the painful moments Jesus endured for us. As humans, God never created us to experience such horror or anguish. This was literally the most painful, shameful death imaginable. Abused to an un recognizable state and naked on a splintery cross (a scoundrel’s punishment) with his back ripped to shreds. He was betrayed, abandoned and falsely condemned. I’ve found myself only lightly sharing the story of the cross with Katie because I didn’t want to break her heart. How her bible hero and savior was betrayed, beaten and crucified. But the more I reflect, I realize we are not doing ourselves any favors when we lightly consider what happened. It was ugly and scandalous that Jesus suffered this, having done nothing wrong. This however is the gift, in those moments he endured pain, rejection; everything that man has dealt with, so he could not only feel what we feel, but bring us victory! He’s our high priest, and no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of mental, emotional or bodily distress Jesus felt itand conquered it, holding the keys proudly. Not only are we healed by his stripes but we are vindicated.
In the law, you would place your hands on your sacrificial animal (often a lamb) to transfer your sins. The poor creature would then be brutally sacrificed, symbolizing the price for our iniquities. This lamb represented Jesus, and every time we raise our hands to heaven not only are we praising him but we’re acknowledging that the Lamb that took away our sins once and for all.
Before the cross they placed a scarlet robe around Jesus. In that moment they were confirming what he was doing. Although you cannot see it outwardly, sin has stained our lives and the only solution is Jesus. We believers now can be wrapped in righteousness and newness of life. Jesus truly paid it all and now we sing “sin had left a crimson stain, he washed me white as snow!”Easter Sunday has now passed and with it often goes the excitement of the holiday. It’s in this special time I feel God calling us to reflect on the past week and press into his heart. Certainly the Resurrection changed everything and Jesus is now alive (woohoo!)- but what was the significance of the happenings leading up to this moment of jubilation? For me it starts with Friday, Good for us and painful for Jesus.
Sometimes we skip over Good Friday quite quickly, one reason can be that it is difficult to process the painful moments Jesus endured for us. As humans, God never created us to experience such horror or anguish. This was literally the most painful, shameful death imaginable. Abused to an un recognizable state and naked on a splintery cross (a scoundrel’s punishment) with his back ripped to shreds. He was betrayed, abandoned and falsely condemned. I’ve found myself only lightly sharing the story of the cross with Katie because I didn’t want to break her heart. How her bible hero and savior was betrayed, beaten and crucified. But the more I reflect, I realize we are not doing ourselves any favors when we lightly consider what happened. It was ugly and scandalous that Jesus suffered this, having done nothing wrong. This however is the gift, in those moments he endured pain, rejection; everything that man has dealt with, so he could not only feel what we feel, but bring us victory! He’s our high priest, and no matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of mental, emotional or bodily distress Jesus felt itand conquered it, holding the keys proudly. Not only are we healed by his stripes but we are vindicated.
In the law, you would place your hands on your sacrificial animal (often a lamb) to transfer your sins. The poor creature would then be brutally sacrificed, symbolizing the price for our iniquities. This lamb represented Jesus, and every time we raise our hands to heaven not only are we praising him but we’re acknowledging that the Lamb that took away our sins once and for all.
Before the cross they placed a scarlet robe around Jesus. In that moment they were confirming what he was doing. Although you cannot see it outwardly, sin has stained our lives and the only solution is Jesus. We believers now can be wrapped in righteousness and newness of life. Jesus truly paid it all and now we sing “sin had left a crimson stain, he washed me white as snow!”
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