Life, Death, and Resurrection

Easter Sunday is right around the corner. This holiday signifies the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The fact that God is willing to forgive us of all of our sins through the death of His son is amazing. Although, it seems that humanity has forgotten the true meaning of Easter. Every store is loaded with bunnies, candies, and colorful eggs. Easter baskets overflowing with gifts fill the minds of the youth. What gift is greater than the love and forgiveness of our creator?

Life is a series of tribulations and blessings. God gives us these trials to prepare us for greater adversities later in life, and to test and strengthen our faith. Think of these trials as a set of railroad tracks, each track delays your journey, for good or bad. Had you not been stopped by the train, you may have been in an accident later in that drive. Or you may have hit every red light as a result. Trials are God’s way of saying you are not quite ready for that pathway, or that is not the trail for you. In 1 Peter 1:6 God tells us “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” Jesus even started to feel abandoned by God. In Mathew 27:46 Jesus says “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It is normal for us to struggle with our faith in these instances, but remember Psalm 22:3-5 state “God listens to our prayers; God is dependable and trustworthy; God is powerful; and God is faithful to keep his promises.” This is good news for us. I think of these passages as I feel like I may be falling into a funk.

Now, put yourself in the position that Jesus was in. Do you think that your faith is strong enough to endure his tribulations? Even as Jesus was being crucified, he was asking God for forgiveness of those that were crucifying him. In Luke 23:34 he cries out “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Imagine being that selfless. While I feel that most of us would gladly give our lives to protect those we love, would we make the same sacrifice for those that we don’t know, or worse, deny our very existence? I like to think that I would die for my faith, but the truth is, we have no idea until we are placed in that situation.

2 Corinthians 5:12 “God made him who had no sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” To think about the disciples of Christ, all of whom had sinned. Look at Paul! He was known for killing Christians before becoming a disciple. After becoming a disciple, Paul spread the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and his work eventually took the message of Christ to Rome. His work and letters also account for 14 of the 27 books in the New Testament!

Even though we are sinners, Christ came to die for us because we were/are sinners. Not because we deserved it, or could earn it, but because he loved us all, and still does. “For God so loved the world (you and I) that he gave His only son. So, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but will have eternal life.” John 3:16

Until next time, stay blessed.

Written by Evan Gersper, Created Outdoors Staff

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