Today is Easter Monday! The Lord is alive ... he HAS risen! No more morbid visits to tombs of religious leaders. No more queueing in long queues to see the body of a famous leader in a white coffin. No need for expensive holy pilgrimages to far away places where a 'god' lived or died! Jesus Christ has CONQUERED death, DEFEATED the grave and has the KEYS of life. Wow! This is the most incredible news!
What are my thoughts this Easter? No, not the amazing chocolate eggs that you get in UK (save some for us folks ... pick them up next week! Coming to think about it, my two kids have never seen a huge chocolate egg!) Hint Hint! Not Easter Bunnies or painting and rolling eggs down a hill. I actually have had a little bit of time to reflect a little on Easter. Here are a few thoughts:
THE TRAGEDY OF A DYING SON
To be honest, I don't really fully appreciate or understand this. I love my own two kids and I would do anything for them. I want to be there for them always. I want to provide for them and never reject them in any way. This is my desire and my promise. I cannot comprehend the phrase in Isaiah 53:10, "But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief." (NLT)
But for Jesus ... at the point of His life when He needed His father the most - when suffering indescribable agony of spirit, horrific pain in his body and battles of his mind - His father turned his back on him. His father chose to ignore and refused to help. His father know that He must suffer the agony of seeing His son suffer for a moment in order to save mankind forever. The only way was a way of rejection. This was a time of terrible pain for both father and son. Unbelievable. The eternal destiny of you, me and the whole of mankind could be lost or found in those few hours.
A few weeks ago I watched a father watch his 6 year old son die. I watched a father hold and kiss his unconscious son as he fought for his life. And I watched the agony of the father as he said goodbye. Through those terrible situation Gio's dad has found the real father! The pain of the cross meant that 2000 years later Gio's dad can still find true reconciliation with the father. Gio's dad said to me, "I am now going to live for the Lord. I am going to serve Him always. If ever give up, the life and death of my son is wasted. For I know the death of Gio has drawn me to the Lord." Isaiah also says about the Lord, "When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied."
THE DESPERATION OF A DYING MAN
The thief on the cross looked at Jesus and cried out in desperation, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." We don't know his name, only his crime; a thief. He had been caught stealing something, somewhere from someone. And his punishment - incredible to us 2000 later - was to die a horrific death on a cross. He had endured the mocking, spitting and beatings. He had blood flowing everywhere and pain in every part of his body. He was finding it hard to believe as his lungs filled up, preparing for his last few breaths. For sure, he was fighting for his life and was in the last dark moments of probably a tragic life. He was not famous; would not be remembered for anything he had done; he was an embarrassment to his family and a mere statistic to the Romans; he was a disgrace and laughing stock to the Jews and a failure in the eyes of everyone .. bar none.
Bar one, actually. There was one who loved him and gave him hope. And there He was ... dying next to him. When the thief looked over at Jesus, his spirit realised, "This man IS the Son of the Living God. He IS my only hope." And in true desperation and with every fabric of faith, he cried out his dying request, "Remember me..."
Remember: Jesus was also in absolute torment of soul, body of and spirit. YET, he looked at the condition and faith of this man and chose to forgive him! He chose to remember him. He saw past the sin and saw a sinner who needed a Saviour. He chose to hear the man's cry and respond with the most beautiful words this man had ever heard, "I tell you the truth ... today, you will be with me in paradise." Now, like Simeon, this unnamed robber could face death with hope and confidence. For he had seen the King. He had experienced the love of the Son of God. His sins, though many and very public, were forgiven ...
...and his last painful inhaling breaths on earth were followed immediately by his first wonderful exhaling breaths on heaven! No more pain, no more sickness, no more sin, no more "I'm sorry", no more darkness, no more mistakes, no more stealing, no more tears. Because he cried out in faith the rewards and blessings of heaven were his.
And, no matter who we are, where we have been and what we have done ... we also can look to the Lord and find this hope! He still forgives broken lives.
THE HOPE OF A DYING WORLD
Hope. What a word. Everyone needs hope. You can take away dignity and possessions form a man and he will still have the will to survive and live. But if you take away hope there is absolutely nothing to live for. Without hope our minds warp, our body withers and our spirit begins to break. But if a man has hope he can endure great pain, suffering and times of testing. It's all about hope.
And the great thing about Easter is that now there is hope for the world. Yup, the whole world. Hope for today, tomorrow and eternity. Hope for our children. Hope for our lives. Hope for heaven. Hope that, no whatever pain we go through, there is always a brighter tomorrow.
And my ministry, as well as yours. is to simply share hope. Not hope in a product, a system, a person an idea, ideal or theory; hope in a person who has conquered everything that we fear - sickness, sin, fear of dying and death itself! Our hope is in the one who CANNOT be defeated and CANNOT be overthrown .. all because of a loving father, an obedient son and a defeated enemy.
This is Easter. We have no excuse if we do not live lives full of hope and purpose. Because now the way for God-filled-joy-filled-purpose-filled lives has been opened up because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross.
Forget yesterday. Examine your heart and life today. Make changes and plan for a better tomorrow. It's yours ... because of Easter!
What are my thoughts this Easter? No, not the amazing chocolate eggs that you get in UK (save some for us folks ... pick them up next week! Coming to think about it, my two kids have never seen a huge chocolate egg!) Hint Hint! Not Easter Bunnies or painting and rolling eggs down a hill. I actually have had a little bit of time to reflect a little on Easter. Here are a few thoughts:
THE TRAGEDY OF A DYING SON
To be honest, I don't really fully appreciate or understand this. I love my own two kids and I would do anything for them. I want to be there for them always. I want to provide for them and never reject them in any way. This is my desire and my promise. I cannot comprehend the phrase in Isaiah 53:10, "But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief." (NLT)
But for Jesus ... at the point of His life when He needed His father the most - when suffering indescribable agony of spirit, horrific pain in his body and battles of his mind - His father turned his back on him. His father chose to ignore and refused to help. His father know that He must suffer the agony of seeing His son suffer for a moment in order to save mankind forever. The only way was a way of rejection. This was a time of terrible pain for both father and son. Unbelievable. The eternal destiny of you, me and the whole of mankind could be lost or found in those few hours.
A few weeks ago I watched a father watch his 6 year old son die. I watched a father hold and kiss his unconscious son as he fought for his life. And I watched the agony of the father as he said goodbye. Through those terrible situation Gio's dad has found the real father! The pain of the cross meant that 2000 years later Gio's dad can still find true reconciliation with the father. Gio's dad said to me, "I am now going to live for the Lord. I am going to serve Him always. If ever give up, the life and death of my son is wasted. For I know the death of Gio has drawn me to the Lord." Isaiah also says about the Lord, "When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied."
THE DESPERATION OF A DYING MAN
The thief on the cross looked at Jesus and cried out in desperation, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." We don't know his name, only his crime; a thief. He had been caught stealing something, somewhere from someone. And his punishment - incredible to us 2000 later - was to die a horrific death on a cross. He had endured the mocking, spitting and beatings. He had blood flowing everywhere and pain in every part of his body. He was finding it hard to believe as his lungs filled up, preparing for his last few breaths. For sure, he was fighting for his life and was in the last dark moments of probably a tragic life. He was not famous; would not be remembered for anything he had done; he was an embarrassment to his family and a mere statistic to the Romans; he was a disgrace and laughing stock to the Jews and a failure in the eyes of everyone .. bar none.
Bar one, actually. There was one who loved him and gave him hope. And there He was ... dying next to him. When the thief looked over at Jesus, his spirit realised, "This man IS the Son of the Living God. He IS my only hope." And in true desperation and with every fabric of faith, he cried out his dying request, "Remember me..."
Remember: Jesus was also in absolute torment of soul, body of and spirit. YET, he looked at the condition and faith of this man and chose to forgive him! He chose to remember him. He saw past the sin and saw a sinner who needed a Saviour. He chose to hear the man's cry and respond with the most beautiful words this man had ever heard, "I tell you the truth ... today, you will be with me in paradise." Now, like Simeon, this unnamed robber could face death with hope and confidence. For he had seen the King. He had experienced the love of the Son of God. His sins, though many and very public, were forgiven ...
...and his last painful inhaling breaths on earth were followed immediately by his first wonderful exhaling breaths on heaven! No more pain, no more sickness, no more sin, no more "I'm sorry", no more darkness, no more mistakes, no more stealing, no more tears. Because he cried out in faith the rewards and blessings of heaven were his.
And, no matter who we are, where we have been and what we have done ... we also can look to the Lord and find this hope! He still forgives broken lives.
THE HOPE OF A DYING WORLD
Hope. What a word. Everyone needs hope. You can take away dignity and possessions form a man and he will still have the will to survive and live. But if you take away hope there is absolutely nothing to live for. Without hope our minds warp, our body withers and our spirit begins to break. But if a man has hope he can endure great pain, suffering and times of testing. It's all about hope.
And the great thing about Easter is that now there is hope for the world. Yup, the whole world. Hope for today, tomorrow and eternity. Hope for our children. Hope for our lives. Hope for heaven. Hope that, no whatever pain we go through, there is always a brighter tomorrow.
And my ministry, as well as yours. is to simply share hope. Not hope in a product, a system, a person an idea, ideal or theory; hope in a person who has conquered everything that we fear - sickness, sin, fear of dying and death itself! Our hope is in the one who CANNOT be defeated and CANNOT be overthrown .. all because of a loving father, an obedient son and a defeated enemy.
This is Easter. We have no excuse if we do not live lives full of hope and purpose. Because now the way for God-filled-joy-filled-purpose-filled lives has been opened up because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross.
Forget yesterday. Examine your heart and life today. Make changes and plan for a better tomorrow. It's yours ... because of Easter!
