Thursday, March 15

He is not here.

As time gets closer and closer to Easter, I have Jesus on my mind.  I always have him on my mind, but I am ashamed to say He is usually in the back of it.  Lately, I have the cross in my mind daily...as I teach the children about Jesus, as I do my quiet time, in my prayer life.  I recently described Jesus' death on the cross to my children, and when I was finished my son said, "I do NOT want to die on the cross mommy."  My precious daughter replied, "you don't have to brother, Jesus did that already." How is it that children can simplify things so complex to us as adults?  Yet, as critically important as Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is for us, I am particularly drawn this year to His resurrection.  We so often glaze over such a significant part of our salvation process, but the resurrection is the reason death has been conquered! 

As I read the story in Luke, I try to put myself in the place of one of the women at the tomb.  Just having watched the gruesome execution of the man I loved as my savior and friend.  Standing under the cross as his blood dripped down to the ground.  Feeling the ground shake as an earthquake rocked the earth and watching the sky grow black when His last breath took place.  Then, walking to His grave three days later, weak and weeping with loss.  I imagine finding the giant rock boulder that sealed his tomb shut rolled to the side and when I walk tentatively into the dark cave, I see that not only was His body not there, but his burial dressings were laid aside as well.  Suddenly two men in dazzling bight clothes speak to us...."Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has been raised!"  Suddenly, like a rush of words and scenes from the past, I remember what Jesus said to us so many times before.  I am filled with excitement, fear and anticipation all at the same time and we run back to tell the others what we had seen (Luke 24).
Imagine being those women and the anticipation they must have felt. What a Victory!! As Luke writes in Acts 2:24 "But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held in its power." I am so honored to love and be loved by a living Savior, who is in Heaven, alive and the conqueror over sin and death.  It is the resurrection that gives meaning to Jesus' words in John 16:33 "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage- I have conquered the world."

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