It is Easter Sunday. What does that mean? For most people it means hunting Easter eggs and spending time with family. For Christians, it is a time to celebrate the sacrifice that Christ made for us.
After being betrayed by Judas, Jesus was sentenced to death for calling himself the Son of God and he was flogged and forced to carry the cross to Skull Hill where he was hung on the cross next to two criminals until he was dead. During the following three days, Jesus fought Satan in the darkness of Hell and triumphed. Because of his sacrifice, His blood that was spilled by the father of Evil covers all of our sins in God’s eyes and allows us poor sinners to enter the gates of Heaven, if we choose to accept the gift He has provided. On the third day, the day we call Easter Sunday, Jesus rose again from the dead to instruct the disciples on their duties in His name and in God’s honor.
Now that you know the briefest of histories of what this day means to Christians, which you can read more about in John of the New Testament in any Bible, let me tell you what it means to me.
I have a chronic illness and it is complicated by many different factors, including stress, mental disorder, and side effects of medication and the illness itself. There are days that it is difficult to get out of bed, much less do anything productive. I spend the majority of my time in my home doing whatever I can from the couch cushion that has a deep imprint of my butt. Because of the illness, I exist on a limited income which also limits any hobbies I may want to try. The suffering that I endure every day is enough to drive most people insane in a short time. The suffering comes in many forms, from physical to mental to emotional.
On Easter, I am reminded that my suffering pales in comparison to what my Savior suffered during that whole week from being betrayed to being separated from His Father while he fought Satan in Hell. Whatever the reasons are for my suffering, I must always remember that it is NOTHING when put up next to the suffering of Christ. I can be kicked and beaten, betrayed and stabbed in the back by people, or I can have my body betray me and steal all my hopes and dreams for this life. But no matter what anyone or my body does to me, there is one thing that can never be stolen from me and that is my undying and unwavering gratitude and love for the One that saved my eternal soul and allowed me to make the choice to live for eternity in my Father’s presence.
So remember, when life tries to beat you down, that there was One that was beaten and crucified for you in a way that you will NEVER know fully. The only reason for this sacrifice was LOVE. He loves all of us so much that he was more than willing to lay His life down so that we had the chance to live… In whatever condition that may be.
So HAPPY EASTER!!!