Celebrating Easter

Some Christians remember Good Friday and celebrate Easter with liturgical fervor. Others say, "Every Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection." So Good Friday and Easter Sunday are not as significant in their church calendar. Both are valid and both are important in their own ways.

But think of this: do we really believe what happened on Good Friday? And do we really celebrate what happened on Easter morning? Or do we buy new clothes and hope we can sit in our usual pew on Sunday morning in spite of all the Easter visitors? And that's about it. I hope this year you’ll change your thinking about Easter forever. I pray your heart will overflow with Joy and that you’ll actually feel like shouting whether you’re in church or not!

I submit that there are still Christians who don’t understand the fullness of what happened when Jesus died on the cross and rose again. And I don’t have adequate time or space to explore all of the fullness in this blog. But I would like to give you food for thought on this Good Friday that I hope and pray will carry over to Easter morning and fill your hearts with the Joy of the Lord.

When Jesus died on the cross, how many of your sins did He forgive? Because let’s face it. You weren’t born yet when He died. So you hadn’t technically sinned at all, had you? You weren’t even thought of at the time and neither were your parents or your grandparents. So for argument’s sake we could say, "Okay, He died for all of my sins I would commit when I came to know Him and asked Him to forgive them." Or some may say, "He only forgives those that I ask Him to forgive." But then all those other sins just go unforgiven and sort of hang out there somewhere forever.

If that were true, then if you die, and there are sins that you have forgotten to ask forgiveness for would you die in unforgiveness? Absolutely not. You see, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) Did He? Do you believe it? If so, when did He do it? It was accomplished on the cross at the crucifixion on Calvary...for you, for me, for your parents, for everyone who would believe and accept what Jesus had done for them.

How many of your sins were forgiven on Good Friday when His blood was shed? ALL of them. All of the ones you committed in your past. All of the ones you will commit in your future. ALL of them. He has redeemed you from condemnation. Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Does that make you want to shout? It should! His blood has bought you back from sin and death. St. Paul says in Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace."

When you pray, do you ask God or Jesus to forgive you of your sins? Beloved, He already has! To keep on asking Him to do what He has already done is to invalidate in your mind His death on the cross. God says in Isaiah 43:18 "Do not call to mind the former things." And in Isaiah 43:24-25 "Rather you have burdened Me with your sins." "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions...and I will not remember your sins." So instead of reminding Him of your sins, which he already forgave, thank Him for forgiving you. Thank Him for what He did on the cross. Thank Him for loving you enough to die for you. Thank Him for redeeming your soul and spirit from condemnation.

On Good Friday His blood was shed for you that in Him ALL your sins are forgiven. On Easter, Resurrection Day, He rose from the dead to show you that He is the First Fruits of those who have died...that you also will rise like He did. (1 Corinthians 15:20) Beloved, you should be shouting! You should be dancing in the streets! When King David brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem he was dancing before the Lord with all of his might! (2 Samuel 6:14) We should also be so bold in our Joy before the Lord.

This Easter Sunday rejoice in the Lord! This year really Celebrate before Him. He is Risen! Hallelujah!