Easter Series - Part 3: The Empty Cross

... And He has surely done it!

Easter is very much a time of new life. New chicks, new lambs, beautiful spring flowers, isn't it such a joy?!
When Jesus died on the cross, for me, I can celebrate knowing that He didn't die forever, that He was the ultimate picture of new life. Jesus died, and rose again on the third day. He now reigns in heaven, to be our King forever more.

You may be skeptical about the resurrection of Jesus. Well can I urge you to look into the evidence, for if the resurrection is true, then that changes everything. It really is the most fantastic, wonderfully brilliant news, for our King lives, the promises were fulfilled in Him and we can live with Him!

So every time I look at the empty cross I am reminded of two things:
1 - that Jesus my King is no longer subject to death, that He lives: Christ is risen!
2 - of the new life that He has also given me, that my sins are forgiven, and I can spend eternity with Him.

Happy Happy Happy Easter everybody!

Easter Series - Part 2: The foretold cross

Are you someone who sticks by their word? Do you make false promises or are you careful to promise things? A friend recently got engaged, and I was thinking about how amazing a promise it is! The ring is the sign of that promise to be fulfilled. A day that is to come!

Yesterday I thought a bit about why Jesus had to die on a cross, and the beauty of it. Today I want to think a bit more about God's plan for the cross. 

Jesus was no last resort, God promised his people a rescue, He promised a King that would reign forever and would take away the sins of His people by dying on a cross. Sure enough, all through the old testament the big rescue plan was foretold by prophets who were messengers from God. One of my favorite parts of the old testament that points to the cross is in Isaiah 53. It writes:

'He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions ; he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.'

Wow God! Isn't it amazing that hundreds of years before, the death of Jesus was promised?! The King of the earth, humbled himself to die on the cross - these verses show beautifully the majesty of Jesus being rejected by the world, and yet He loved us still. God is a promise keeper, He promised that Jesus would come, that Jesus would die, and that we would be healed from sin, and He did it! 

Stay tuned to hear more incredible promises God makes! (And if you would like to know more, don't hesitate to get in touch!)

Happy Easter!

Easter Series - Part 1: The kind cross

Easter is my favorite time of the year! If you know me well, then you will know that I love seeing all the daffodils and little lambs. But I also adore spending time marveling at the greatest rescue plan there ever was. 

God sent His son, King Jesus, to die on the cross (John 3:16). I am not a parent, but I can only imagine that watching your child suffer causes unimaginable pain. God gave his son. God gave his son to die the most brutal death there ever was. What kind of a father would do that?

A father who wants to know and love his children. This heartbreaking scene had to happen. For all had fallen short of God's glory (Roman's 3:23). For man to be in a right relationship with God there had to be sacrifice. The bitter nails were driven through the hands and feet of the innocent, whilst I, the guilty, was set free. My King took my pain, that I could look to my God, and call him my Father.  Forgiven. 

The greatest love story ever told - God's love, deeper than the depths of the sea, greater than any eye has seen, or any ear heard. And he asks all to come to the cross, to come to know the pain that he went through, to call you and I his children. 

Please do get in contact with me if you want to know more, and do read the rest of this Easter series over the next few days!