"It is Finished"

Within the next few days, many of us will participate in dying Easter eggs, egg hunts and eat a few Cadbury eggs.  While all of that is fun and great traditions, Easter has nothing to do with an egg.

 

I looked up the definition of holiday out of curiosity.  Merriam-Webster defines it as a special day of celebration: a day when most people do not have to work.  We view holidays as a free day away from the office. A time to overindulge on ham and the fixin's while surrounded by family. Those are all great as well, but, the reason we have a holiday, in this case, Easter, is because it is a holy day.

 

Most of us know the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. It is the ONLY reason we celebrate.  If we aren’t careful, we can hear it so much, it impacts us less.  That’s why it’s important to know and remember the details, as best we can, of what happened on those few days that would change our fate, for those who believe.

 

On the night before Jesus was to be crucified, He went to The Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He knew the torture He would have to face and He was overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death. (Matt. 26:38) In fact, he agonized so much He sweat drops of blood. While Jesus prayed, He asked God three separate times to take the cup of suffering away from him, yet he said let God’s will be done and not His.  He was then captured by Roman soldiers, which was when His physical torture began. To humiliate Him, they stripped him naked. To mock Him, He was given a scarlet robe and scepter. He was scourged with a whip, of at least three strands as much as three feet long, with pieces of bone or lead balls at the end. The flogging was so violent; it tore open the flesh exposing veins and arteries. Thorn branches, around an inch long, were driven into his scalp. They spit in His face as the blood poured from his head and ran down his body.  Jesus was then forced to carry His own cross to Golgotha. The same cross He would be nailed to and executed on. Iron pegs, roughly 7-9 inches long, were driven into his hands and feet. While hanging on the cross, Jesus asked The Father to forgive them, the same people who killed him, for they knew not what they did. Moments before His final breath, in separation from God, Jesus asked: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” He then said “It is finished” and His spirit was released.

 

Can you imagine watching your child be tortured and left to die? The Bible said it pained God so much, He had to turn away. 

 

This is how much God loves us all.  So much, He sent His one and only son to take our place and die this painful, gruesome death for our sin. He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isaiah 53:5)          

 

Why would anyone celebrate the death of this man Jesus? Because, this is not where the story ends. It is only the beginning. Three days later, Christ was resurrected from the dead! There is no amount of technology or money on this earth that would be able to bring a dead man back to life.  Only the magnificent power of God Almighty.  Our debt was paid, scripture was fulfilled and Jesus Christ was vindicated!

 

As we get prepared to clothe ourselves in our Sunday best and listen to another Easter sermon, let the specifics break us and the outcome wake us to the glorious message of the life-saving gospel.  Jesus is risen! The tomb is empty! We are free from the grips of death.  That is why we do more than observe, we rejoice,this holiday called Easter. Because of Jesus, "It is Finished"!

Please take a moment to listen to the song below and just thank Jesus for who He is and ALL He's done for us.

 

Becoming Cinderella

Once upon a time there was a beautiful, kind young girl who lived in a faraway land.  She lost her mother at a young age and was raised and adored by her father.  She led a happy life… until …the wicked step mother and step sisters entered the picture. The poor girl was then suddenly dealt a hard blow when her father died and she was left living as a servant to three horrid women. 

Of course, most of us know I’m speaking of the timeless tale of Cinderella.  After taking my children to see the newest version of the Disney classic, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander a bit.

Cindy had a hard life.  Both of her parents died while she was still young. She became a slave.  And, her best friends were rodents. The story took a twist when the prince, whom she didn’t know, caught up with her after he saw her swiftly riding a horse through the forest.

Let’s stop there and read that last sentence again.  The prince caught up with her.

She wasn’t taking a leisurely ride to scope for a rich single man to marry so she could live happily ever after.  From the scene in the movie, it appeared she was frustrated, angry and hurt.  She jumped on the horse to escape the harsh realities of her life.  She had no idea, when she woke that morning, she would meet the man of her dreams.  The man she would later marry.  She was busy living her own life. 

There are many lessons to be learned from this fable, but, there are two that stand out.

When the Dust Settles

For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

There are moments when the impact of life’s brutal blows will hit so hard we feel the wind has been knocked out of us.

Last Sunday morning, my family woke to the devastating news of a close family members passing.  It was sudden and gut- wrenching. We gathered at his home where his body lay as the coroner gave us a chance to be together.   I watched as my grandmother said goodbye to her son and as my dad kissed his only brother on the forehead to say he loved him. One of the most touching moments of my life came when I sat beside my pain-stricken grandmother as she sang the chorus of “It is well with my soul” just minutes after.

In the days that followed, family and friends surrounded as we told stories, looked at old photographs and remembered my uncle.  Distraction seemed to help from the reality of what happened. Eventually though, the people left, the house got quiet and the concreteness was crushing.

Losing a loved one leaves a gaping hole and forces us to trudge through the thick mucky stages of bereavement. We’re left in a state of shock, confusion, despair and anger amongst other emotions. When the dust settles, most around us will go back to their normal lives.  It is the ones left grieving that may feel a part of us died with them.  How do we carry on and continue living when we feel our heart has been ripped from our chest?

God, Can I Have a Raincheck?

“Just give me ten minutes please” I said in an elevated voice to my two children as one would call out "MOOMMMYYYY" and then the other.  It was 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning.  How could they bicker already I thought to myself.

I cuddled up under my blanket, anxious to dive into the word and get lost for a moment with Jesus.  Two minutes later, one barges in my room followed by the other.  All I wanted was a few minutes alone with my Daddy.  I knew I wouldn’t get the study time I needed or wanted, so I waited.  As a single mom, it’s common for me to forego my quiet time for later in the day or at night once I know I can concentrate. 

If you’re a single parent to smaller children, can you relate?  They require so much of our time that it’s hard to find solitude.  In an attempt to sneak in peace and quiet, we tiptoe around our home while they sleep, whisper long winded prayers like Lord, give me strength and play hide and seek, in hopes they take a while to find us. 

Raising small children means our daily walk with God will sometimes take creativity and almost always take flexibility.