Leading up to Easter…
Easter, the time of Christ’s crucifixion and His blessed resurrection, is a time that stirs my heart like no other period.
Helen and I watched the movie, The Passion of the Christ, just a few days ago. It is an amazing portrayal of Christ’s suffering and His amazing power to rise from the dead after His whipping, crucifixion and being in the grave for three days!
As a child, Easter was such a sad time in my life, I loved Palm Sunday as Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the crowd waved their palm branches, laid down their clothes and shouted “Hallelujah, blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord…”
But Palm Sunday was followed by Good Friday when Jesus was arrested, beaten and then brutally nailed to a cross – this as a child was the most tragic of times in my life as I just could not fathom why people did this to Jesus?
It was not until many years later as I received Christ as my Lord and Saviour, that the question to that small boys “why”, was answered!
Jesus suffered and was crucified and died in my place, to take my penalty for my sins – this is why He was treated so. I learnt that it was God the Father Who gave His only Son Jesus to suffer and die for me, so that I could receive God’s forgiveness and His amazing grace.
May you take time to personally prepare for this most holy of times in our calendar. May you come to a full realization Easter and you are divinely linked!
I encourage you to read each of the Gospel’s passages on this amazing act of God’s love. May you read also Isaiah the prophet’s detailed prophecy of Christ’s suffering as recorded in chapter 53.
Finally, take time to carefully read through Psalm 22 that reveals the agony Christ endured whilst on the cross as prophecied by King David.
It’s an amazing time to grow closer again to our precious Saviour – Jesus!