Tomorrow and forever

I like to think of Easter as the dawn – as a new beginning for this world.  When Christ died on the cross and rose again, He gave us all the opportunity for a new beginning, a brand new start.

We know that God created man perfect - and mankind sinned.  God is perfectly holy and has said that we must be holy as well. 

So we obviously needed a new beginning. 

But, what can we do about it on our own?  We can’t become holy and perfect – sin is in this old world and that makes it impossible. 

But there is a way; God provided the only way.  One perfect human would die for the sins of all of us.  And the only way that would work would be for God himself to come into our world as a human and live a perfect life and take all of our sins on himself – but that would mean his death.  And as you know, that’s what happened.

When we think about His death we need to remember that Jesus was fully human and fully God.  As a fully human man, He felt pain and sadness and disappointment just like we do.

When I think of Easter, the picture in my mind that most touches me, and exemplifies the price he paid for us, is the one of Him in the garden, on His knees, praying with all His heart, even to the point of sweating drops of blood.

After praying for some time, He went back to his friends and found them asleep – He had asked them to watch and pray with Him.  Don’t you believe He was disappointed?  I wonder if His eyes were full of tears as He went back to pray some more.

We read that, as Jesus prayed He asked His Father if there was possibly any other way to bring us back to Him – another way than for Him to die with the sin of the world on His body and soul.

We can’t possibly know what Jesus was feeling, but if the intensity of his prayers is any indication – it was terrible.  If the disappointment that we hear in those words to his disciples “couldn’t you watch for one hour?” is any indication, Jesus was full of loneliness and heartfelt pain.

Even though He asked for another way, He was still willing to die for us.  He said, “Not My will, but Yours, Father.”  Jesus knew that He would have to pay the price for us all, and He was still willing.

That really humbles me.  Jesus went down on His knees to His Father and prayed – He asked His Father if they could find another way. 

Why is that is so important?  

Because, if Jesus hadn’t asked His Father to take the cup away, if he hadn’t asked Him to take away the suffering that He knew was in store for Him, I’m not sure we would have as clear a picture what it cost Him to love us.

 

The price was higher than we can ever imagine.

We’ve read the accounts of His suffering – the beatings, the cross, and the crown of thorns, so we have a tiny idea of the pain He went through, but what about His loneliness - have you thought about that? 

Yes, there were people around, some of His followers and His mother who cared about him.  There were this enemies, and the soldiers and the two other men who were crucified at the same time.  But even with all this going on, Jesus was entirely alone in this world.  Even His Father could not partake in that aloneness.  

The price for our sin was not only a physical death, but it was separation from His Father.  When He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me,” I believe that His Father God hurt like He had never hurt before in all of eternity.

 

I believe God could have stopped the suffering of His son, but He would not – He loved us too much.  I believe He could have made sure that His Son knew He was there for Him, but He did not.

 

It would have been easier if Christ felt Him there,

easing the burden, the sins He would bear.

But that wouldn't pay the price that was due –

the price of salvation for me and for you.

No, the only price that could save the lost

was the separation of God on the cross

from God in his heaven - the Father and Son,

to be torn from each other - a tearing of one.

That day on the earth, the darkness that reigned,

came not from the soldiers, came not from the pain.

It came from God's heart tearing in two,

hurting much more than any could do.

Loving us so much, that it broke His own heart,

The Son on the cross and the Father apart.

Separation – and death were the price that was due,

as God hung on the cross paying ransom for you

B U T

It didn’t end there!

Thank God it didn’t end there!  Spring was coming – a new day was dawning and God knew what He was doing. 

It was only a matter of days until the story made a remarkable change. In only a short time, sorrow turned to gladness.  

In the darkness of our world the sun was shining because in a blink of an eye the whole history of man moved from darkness toward dawn. 

Christ burst from the tomb, and the heaven was filled with singing.  It was a new day, a new beginning. 

Jesus’ disciples changed from the timid, beaten down, men they were  to real men who spoke out, who were willing to stand up and be counted as followers of Jesus. 

And the world would be changed forever because of this one event in history. 

I pray that Easter (Resurrection day) will mean more to you this year than it ever has before.  And that you may believe with all your heart that He loves you.