ALT-1 Easter
Christians celebrate Easter because it is clearly our July 4th! It is our remembrance of freedom won forever! How can we not celebrate that one act that changed the world?
The whole week preceeding leads, draws us to that wonderful celebration, with hope for this present day condition of the world to gain answers for every need.
Not long ago, this nation was experiencing the joyous Hosannas of Palm Sunday. Shouts of joy and stability in our lives. Then, the warnings and instruction began to surface. Just as the disciples forgot His Words spoken in love around the table, we entered a period of shock and disbelief as the doom of recession crept into our everyday lives, because the warnings were ignored.
The day of the crucifiction, the day they had to watch their hope hang in ridicule on a cross and die in agony, in public, put them in a place of loss they had never known before. How could this happen? Why did this happen? How can it all be gone? What do we do now? Many have these same feelings today.
We huddle in shock and fear just as the disciples did then. But, we know something today that they didn't know then: SUNDAY IS COMING!
He arose with debt cancellation for mankind on that glorious morning! In His mighty hand was the payment due receipt with PAID IN FULL written in His blood across the page!
How could a blind man not celebrate that this act restored his sight? How could a prisoner not celebrate his freedom and pardon for his crime? How could the broken-hearted not celebrate with shouts of joy that their hope was renewed?
We celebrate the fact that a death sentence has been removed forever from our lives. He conquered the dark from ever making a demand for our payment for a debt we were powerless to pay. He gave, giving us the opportunity to receive.
He opened a door that we could not walk through because of our sinfulness. Sin is not clothed with the right garments to gain access to what lies beyond that door. We celebrate His sacrifice in our lives that bestowed on us robes of right standing with God.
When we accept His death as a personal debt paying act and receive His pardon toward us, we must celebrate in gratitude! What a wonderful gift of grace and mercy! The only requirement needed is to be a sinner in need of a Savior!
Celebrate? If a christian fully comprehended what the sacrifice of Jesus actually did for them, there would be joyous riots in the streets to commemorate that day!
