The true meaning of Easter

 

“Silly rabbit, Easter is for Jesus!”

Easter is my favorite holiday and time of year. Winter has ended, the birds start to chirp, and signs of spring and new life are all around us. It is the perfect time to celebrate Easter because it symbolizes the true meaning of Easter and the historic and life altering event that took place. 

 

Despite the worldly celebration of Easter, centered on the bunny rabbit, that is not what this day is about.  The amazing, earth shattering life event that changed everything is the reason we celebrate this beautiful holiday. The one who changed everything for all of humanity. Jesus Christ.

 

The story of the gospel and Jesus’s life that leads up to this event of why we celebrate Easter. 

There is so much beauty in the details of who Jesus is and what He did for us. 

 

Jesus walked the earth knowing what was to come. The path that he walked was not always easy, just like we can experience in life. He questioned God, wept, and withdrew to lonely, quiet places to pray. The depth of His time on earth was monumental and changed a lot of lives. That was really the purpose of Jesus coming to earth in the first place. And the purpose of His death was even more so part of God’s divine plan and purpose.

 

Jesus knew which disciple would betray Him, which one would disown him three times, and how he would die. 

But as much as Jesus knew and knew the greater purpose of it all, He still questioned if this was how it would have to happen and felt the physical and emotional pain from this very devastating path to walk to his death.

 

In John 19:17, it says that Jesus carried His own cross to the place where they crucified him. I can’t imagine walking in his shoes and carrying the cross I would be nailed too and left there to hang for hours before I died. How scary to think of and not many people would do that willingly for all people, even for the ones who did not love us back.

Some of you may have asked, why?  Why would Jesus do all that for humans, that have not always shown the best character and love back to him? Why would He take our place, the death that was meant for us sinners?

 

The symbol of the cross and the action that Jesus was willing to walk out, points us to the true and only one reason Jesus did this:

 

Love.

 

Love was the main motivation for Jesus to walk diligently and obediently in God’s plan for His life here on earth.

I just read a quote that is so profound and beautiful and I knew I had to share it this Good Friday:

 

“ It was not nails but love that held Jesus to the cross.”

 

Jesus performed many miracles with his time on earth. He made the blind see again, made the paralyzed walk again, He sought out ones that were not loved by anyone because of a skin condition and healed them so they could be a part of the community again. He performed more miracles than we could ever record. He could have gotten off that cross and not die that way. So, those nails did not hold Jesus there. His love for all of humanity did.

 

He came to give us life. In John 10:10, Jesus says, the thief only comes to kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

He cares about us and wants us to be with Him forever.

 

Jesus, the one who came to heal us and save us, died a criminal’s death, because he chose YOU. His love is available to you. He wanted to show you through His death, that He loves you more than you will ever know. If you were the only person to ever live, He still would have died on the cross as He did, because you are worth it in His eyes. 

I hope and pray that you feel Jesus’s sacrifice and crucifixion a little more deeply this year and know that He loves you so much and wants to enjoy life with you.

 

The true meaning of Easter is love and true love is found in Jesus Christ.

 

Good Friday was a dark day, but Jesus defeated death and walked out of that tomb where he was buried, 2 days later.

He is the King of the world and our loving and compassionate Creator.

 

He owes us nothing, yet offers us EVERYTHING. Because whoever believes in Him will live forever with Him into eternity. What a beautiful gift through such a horrific death.

If all you have is Jesus, then you have everything you need.

I hope you all have an amazing Easter Sunday and feel Jesus’s love deeply, because His love runs deep for you.

“Jesus didn’t say, I am finished, He said “It is finished”, He was just getting started….”

All for Jesus,

 

Steph