Easter Reflections
By Sally Bland --
What does Easter mean to you? Last Sunday we asked some of our preschool and elementary students that question, and it made me think what my answer would be. As a child, growing up in a non-Christian home, Easter simply meant a visit from the Easter Bunny. I remember being excited to wake up and see what the Easter Bunny brought us! When I was young, I heard about Jesus, but I didn’t truly understand what was special about His sacrifice or why it was even needed. It wasn’t until I was an adult and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior that Easter became a time for me to remember and celebrate God’s redeeming love and power!
On Good Friday we reflect on Jesus’ surrender and sacrifice at the cross. Jesus endured suffering and death because He loves us. The sin in our lives separates us from God. We can do nothing in our own strength to mend that broken relationship, it is only through Jesus’ sacrifice that our sins are redeemed. When we accept Jesus, sin no longer holds power over our lives! We are free!!
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
–Romans 6:6-7
Jesus’ death on the cross was necessary to save us, but even death could not defeat Him! On Easter Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ triumph over death! This part of Jesus’ story is what confused me when I was a child. After all, how can a man who was dead for three days come back to life? Do you see the truth about Jesus I was missing? I did not understand that Jesus was God and that He had power over death! That knowledge changed everything for me and gave me faith to believe in a God who was more powerful than anything else in the world:
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.
–Romans 6:9
When we decide to follow Jesus and accept His sacrifice, our lives are forever changed! God welcomes us into His family. We are free from the bondage of sin and do not need to fear death as we look forward to spending eternity with Jesus! I may not have understood this truth when I was a child, but I am filled with immense joy that my children know who Jesus is! I pray that this Easter weekend your family spends time with God, remembering and celebrating who He is and how He changed your lives through His loving sacrifice. Please join us this Friday (Good Friday) and Sunday (Easter) as we continue to worship our loving and powerful God! I hope to see you there.
God Bless,
Sally Bland