He Is Risen

 

He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

Matthew 28:6

 

Mission Accomplished

 

John 19:30  "It is finished"

He is Risen

Death, where is your sting?

Good Friday

Chocolate Chicken?

Our pastor's father-in-law is also a pastor and he calls Easter Sunday 'Ressurection Sunday'. He wants to differentiate between the hi-jacked version of Easter and the real thing. It is a definitive statement for sure.

I heard the early morning newscast on Sunday and the announcer, whether reading her script or ad-libbing, I do not know, but her words were "the faithful gathered this morning in the Holy Land at the site where it is believed that Jesus is buried."

I cannot think of a more pivotal event in the history of the world, or of mankind, than the death and Resurrection of Jesus, and this announcer got it wrong. Many get it wrong, when it is a cut and dried and proven historical fact. Choosing to not believe that it is, gives the unbeliever an 'out'. It is either true or it is not. There are also those who believe the Holocaust never took place.

So, the event is turned into a holiday for everyone, those who believe and those who do not. We all like the bunnies, Easter eggs and chocolate chickens, but not all like the fact that Christians worship a risen Saviour. But, that is the best part!    

Easter!

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; He has risen!

Remember how he told you

while He was still with you in Galilee?   

Luke 24: 5-6

Good Friday

There is no justice without restoration.

There is no restoration without repayment.

The price was great.

The payment was made.

We who believe, are restored.  

Hunt

We should have known that getting a little Easter Chic would result in a big basket of colourful eggs. How do they do that? So, we hid them in the garden, and Liam had a hand at his first Easter egg hunt this year. (see comments) Haha!  

He caught on instantly and was in the game from the get-go. He had a sharp eye and I could barely keep up to him with my camera.

The basket was full in no time and soon he had to get a back- up basket.

Some hiding places were  obvious.

Of course, he had to check in with Nana to get an accurate count and show her how well he was doing.

Some hiding places were not obvious at all, but he spotted a bit of colour and ....  

Victory! But the basket was getting full again.

Always time for a photo-op. Cheeeeese!

He was having so much fun that we (read 'he') did not want it to end so we took some eggs from the first basket and re-hid them. This trick will not work next year.

I don't know who had more fun, the kids or the adults. His two big brothers were great sports and let him find most of the eggs. After, he was given a lesson in sharing, when they each got equal amounts. He was good with it. We will let his mom and dad deal with the inevitable sugar highs.  

Easter Morning

Paradox

Jesus, Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, humbled himself. He who knew no sin, became sin for us. He, the creator of life, who would conquer death, had to first experience death. He who died would live again on the third day. The day of crucifixion named Good Friday. Paradox!   

Liam's First Easter Egg Hunt

He searched every clump of shrub and flower.

He is an outdoor boy, every inch. Those girls can wear their fancy Easter Bonnets, but Liam has his Easter Garden Boots.

"Why are you taking so many pictures when there are Easter Eggs to be found?"

"Oh yes, another one!"

"This is fun!"

This is what happens to those coloured Easter Eggs if you keep them warm.

Giving It Up

At last week's church service, it was suggested by our pastor that we "give something up" during the week before Easter. I thought about it and realised what a spartan life I lead. Of course, everything is a comparison. I already deny myself many things and consider myself a disciplined person. There are actually many things I could have given up, and was feeling guilty that I was not doing so, but then I began to wonder what the point of this exercise would be, for me personally. I know that fasting and denial are a very important aspect of many people's lives, but it is a little unclear to me as to the ultimate purpose of it.
Then I thought of the concluding statement of the message, which was about Christs' crucifixion and what it accomplished. Our pastor quoted Buddha on his death bed. "Never cease striving." Then he compared that to Christ's last words. "It is finished".
It suddenly became clear to me what I was to give up. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, God's grace, or his love. He did it all. It is finished. So, I gave up guilt. I hope it will last for more than a week.

Easter

Easter Weekend Retrospect

I always look forward to Easter with anticipation and this year, again, I was not disappointed. Some would compare it to Christmas but for me there is little similarity. If you have been reading my blog, you already know how I feel about Christmas. Easter has not been as polluted by our culture, as has Christmas. From a Christian world view, Easter is by far the more significant of the two celebrations. The death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is pivotal to the Christian faith and as such is too controversial for the secular world to get too involved in. At Christmas, 'Peace on earth and goodwill to all men' is generic enough that even an atheist can buy into it. However, man's redemption through God's sacrifice on the cross is too specific and involves faith, acceptance, and accountability so the secular world feels most comfortable with baby chicks, bunnies and chocolate eggs. This creates more of separation between Christian and non-Christian and that makes Easter feel more like 'our' time.
Christ's suffering on the cross as portrayed in scripture, through drama, and in music, is intensely personal for me and I find myself getting very emotional about it. The cliche`s of new life and new beginnings are generally synonymous with spring as well as Easter so for most people, Easter is simply a spring ritual, an end to winter and promise of flowers, green leaves and the pleasures of summer. For a true Christian, it is indeed new life in a very literal sense.
The family and food are simply a bonus. We do not need an excuse to get together as family, but there are enough occasions for celebration throughout the year that we meet often and it is always a joy. Easter is one of those times, and I love it.

He is Risen!

Nails

Nails
In Jesus' hands
He a skilled carpenter
Using nails constructively
In His hands they were tools
To build
To repair
To fasten
To strengthen

Nails in Jesus' hands, used to fix him to a cross, to bleed, to die, to reconcile, to sacrifice, to forgive, to love, to save.

Those nails meant for you and for me.

He is Risen !

Women have not always enjoyed their present day status. In different times and in different cultures, women have often been suppressed, demeaned, and considered second class human beings. It was thus in the time and culture of the first century.

There have been many attempts, over the centuries, to discredit the Easter Story. One of the most popular ways has been to claim that the Resurrection story is a myth. It takes many years to develop a myth, indeed many generations. Eye witnesses have to have expired so as to not contradict the myth, a word which implies mistruth. As it turns out, the so-called myth of Jesus rising from the grave was written about and indeed copied many thousands of times, in the first generation, the generation of Jesus, eye witnesses to the event! But here is the clincher. Who in their right mind, in the first century, knowing that women were not even allowed to testify in a court of law because they were unreliable, would start a myth where the first eye witnesses to the resurrected Jesus were ....... women? They were the first to see the empty grave, the first to be told by an angel that Jesus was risen , and the first to see Jesus in his resurrected body. Matthew 28: 1-10.

Crucifixion

As followers of Christ, we are not specifically asked to remember Christmas, but we have turned it onto the biggest production on the calendar. It has been secularized, watered down, and commercialized to the point where it is palatable to the politically correct world. Take Jesus out, turn it into 'goodwill' and 'peace on earth' and Santa Claus and there is something for everyone.
This process is not that easy with Easter. This is the most important 3 days for Christians because through the death and Resurrection of Christ, our sins were forgiven, our future was secured, and we have promise of Resurrection for ourselves. This is not politically correct because these benefits, although free gifts for the asking, are exclusively for true believers. This weekend is not as well observed and celebrated by the masses because it has not been that easy to take Jesus out of Easter. And maybe God knew that when He instructed us through his word, to remember. We cannot blame non-Christians for not observing Easter, it means nothing to them, unless they celebrate new life in the form of bunny rabbits and freshly hatched chicks.
In the next few days, let us remember, and then examine our faith. Do we really believe, and if we do, how is that impacting our lives. Easter is ALL about Jesus and no amount of Easter Lilies or chocolate can ever change that!

* The photo is not mine. It belongs to "dtcchc" a church media designer who posted this photo on Flikr.