The Glorious Hope of the Resurrection

This past Sunday was Resurrection Day, also known as Easter, the day we as Christians remember the resurrection of Christ. I've celebrated this day since I was a young girl. The glorious message and theme of this day, for me, has always been: "He is Risen!" 

Jesus is alive, seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. (Romans 8:34) That is such a comforting and incredible truth. 

Jesus, being the first one to rise from the dead after His death on the cross (something the Bible calls "first fruits" which happened on the Biblical holiday of first fruits), guarantees a greater "harvest" of souls to rise from the dead someday at His second coming! (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) Because Jesus lives, those who belong to Him will live forever with Him. (John 14:19)

These are glorious facts and truths from the Word of God that bring such incredible hope! 

At different times throughout my life, the resurrection of Christ has meant something new to me personally.  

From the time I was a baby until I was 10 or 11 years old, I was taught very simple, yet very solid truths from the Word of God about Jesus resurrection from the dead. 

Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus came to earth to die on a cross for our sins. Jesus was buried in a tomb and rose on the third day! Jesus resurrection was absolute proof that He was exactly Who He said He was - the Son of God. (Romans 1:4) 

As a child, all those facts sounded wonderful to me! Jesus is our Savior, and Jesus is alive! Death didn't keep Jesus inside the tomb. Death didn't win. Yay! I'm so thankful I was taught these Biblical truths as a child. 

I was very happy on Easter morning for another reason too.(I prefer to call it "Resurrection Day" now.) My parents had special treats and a new dress waiting for me and my sisters that morning. I fondly remember going to church in a cheery, new, spring colored dress which was so fitting for the occasion! I enjoyed the celebrations of the day and a delicious lunch at home with my family after church. As a child, that was about the extent of what the day meant to me.

The spring before I turned 12 years old, I gave my life to the Lord. At that age, I understood what it meant to know Christ as my personal Savior and Lord of my life, and I learned to walk with God as a young Christian. After that, Christ's resurrection took on a new and deeper meaning to me. 

Just as Jesus had been buried in a tomb and rose to life three days later, my old self had been buried with Christ, and I desired to walk in "newness of life" as Romans 6:4 says:    

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." 

From the time I was about 13 years old, continuing throughout my teenage years, Resurrection Day reminded me not only of the glorious truths I'd learned as a child, but it also reminded me of the importance of walking in "newness of life" with Christ.

Somewhere around age 20, going from my late teen years into my early 20's, Christ's resurrection began to take on another new and deeper meaning to me - suffering. 

After learning to walk with God in my teen years, I discovered another aspect of what it meant to walk with God. 2 Timothy 3:12 says: 

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 

In my late teen years, I made personal choices to follow the Word of God and was mocked, ridiculed, and put down by relatives and family members, even members living within the four walls of my home. That is something that continues to this day. It is a privilege to suffer for Christ, but the pain is enormously real. 

Suffering with Christ is another very real aspect of walking with God. Suffering is part of Christ's resurrection story. Had Jesus not suffered and died, there would have been no resurrection. 

Philippians 3:10 says:   

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

Throughout my 20's, Christ's resurrection from the dead reminded me of the suffering He went through for us. It also reminded me of the suffering we will go through in this life to follow Him. 

The beautiful part about suffering for Christ is that God promises in His Word: 

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him." 2 Timothy 2:12 

Now in my late 30's, as I continue to remember all that Christ's resurrection has meant to me throughout my life, I've begun to see another aspect of Jesus resurrection from the dead. This aspect is so glorious, I find it difficult to fully type into words. Bear with me as I share a little glimpse into my heart and life this past year. 

Anyone who followed me on my previous, two blogs will know that I had surgery over a year ago. (November of 2019) I'd never gone through anything like that before in my life. Everything turned out well, but I lost a small organ during that surgery.

Because it was major surgery, it took a few months before I felt like myself again. Deep inside though, I felt like I was no longer whole. I was missing something.

Well meaning people would say things like: "You're whole, Erin. Don't think like that."  

  

It didn't matter what anyone said to me. I knew I'd lost something. Even if I wanted to forget, I couldn't. My body won't let me forget. I'm reminded that I lost an organ God created me with, an organ that God intended to be there. God created me with two; now I only have one. 

I have a new compassion for people who have gone through surgery or have some kind of health issue. Though I am healthy, I can understand how difficult a health trial can be. Before my surgery, I'd never gone through any major health issue before. 

Did I not have compassion on people before? I did. But now, my eyes have been opened in a deeper way to the tremendous brokenness in our world. I see it everywhere. 

It ultimately goes back to Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. Sin continues to destroy people's lives to this day. Sometimes, things happen as a result of our own sin. 

Many times though, bad things happen that are completely out of our control and not the result of our own sin or choice. 

All these bad things remind me that we live in a fallen, broken world. 

Sometimes, when I pray for other people with needs, my heart gets overwhelmed! 

I know of a young girl who, through no fault of her own, was severely burned a few years ago because of some scalding, hot water that spilled on her accidently. I sense the pain in her mom's heart as she shares pictures of her young daughter, asking for prayer on Facebook. It hurts me to see this precious, little girl suffer so much. 

I follow the blog of a Godly woman (that I don't know) who lost her husband to a brain tumor. I can only imagine the enormous grief and loss that she and her children must feel at times! 

I know people (older couples) whose spouses have left them. Although I've never been married, my heart breaks for those people. 

I also know people who struggle with severe, medical depression. Though I don't know what that's like, it hurts me to see those people struggle so much. 

I know people who have died unexpectedly because of an accident, or because of poor health, or because they can't handle life anymore. Stories like that crush my heart. The list goes on.   

Undeniably, there is tremendous pain and sorrow in our world. 

And then I think of Jesus. How His heart must break to see such suffering, sin, and brokenness in this world that He created! Our world is far from what God originally intended it to be. 

And that is why God sent us His only Son. That is why Jesus died. That is what His resurrection was ultimately about. That is what we celebrate! 

God didn't leave this world in its lost, broken state. He came to redeem this lost, broken world back to Himself! That is the glorious hope of the Gospel! 

The Bible puts it this way: 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3 

The Bible calls it a "lively" hope, which means that it is a living hope, not some dead hope with empty promises.  

Have I seen everything redeemed and restored in my life that I have lost? No, I haven't. But when Christ comes back, I will. Right now, Jesus offers us eternal life, which begins in our heart and mind. Someday, that will include our body. 

Romans 8:22-23 says: 

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, Israel. Why? I believe it is the place where Jesus gave His life and rose again. More than the place though, it is the Person behind the place that has such significance to me.

This place is a garden today, just as it was in Jesus time. To me, this place stands as a silent (yet loud!) witness of the glorious events that took place there nearly 2,000 years ago. 

I follow their page on Facebook, and they recently shared this lovely photo of sunlight streaming through the garden. Isn't it so peaceful, so beautiful, and so inviting? 

They say that a picture speaks a thousand words. To me, this lovely photo speaks of the glorious hope of Christ's resurrection from the dead. 

God didn't leave us in our lost state. He reaches out His nail pierced Hands in love, and says: 

"Fear not: for I have redeemed thee..." Isaiah 43:1

The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, Israel

Jesus, Our Passover Lamb

The Biblical holiday of Passover has been this week. For Jewish people, Passover includes the week long feast of unleavened bread. For them, the Passover begins with a Seder meal when they remember their great exodus from Egypt by the mighty hand of God over 3,000 years ago. Deliverance and freedom are common themes spoken of throughout the Passover Seder.      

God told his people Israel that they were to observe this holiday (feast) throughout their generations. The Bible says it this way:

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." Exodus 12:14 

In the last part of that verse, God told His people, Israel, that they were to keep this feast forever. How long is forever? Exactly that. Forever. 

A few verses later, God says this again: 

"And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever." Exodus 12:17 

Well over 3,000 years later, the Jewish people continue to do this; God told them to do so. 

While the Jewish people are observing the Biblical holiday of Passover this week, Christians are remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ this week. Quite often, Passover coincides with the week of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.  

Rightly so. This was God's plan and design.

The Bible tells us that God told His people, Israel, to kill the first Passover lambs on the 14th day of the 1st Biblical month and place the blood on the sides and upper doorpost of their home. That night, God passed through the land of Egypt, passing over the homes that had the blood on the doorposts. (you can read this story in detail in Exodus 12.) 

The original Passover in the land of Egypt foreshadowed what was to come well over 1,000 years later when Jesus came to earth and died as God's perfect Lamb. Jesus, God's only Son, died on Passover at 3 o' clock in the afternoon, the exact time of the evening sacrifice on Passover. 

Only God could orchestrate such details! 

The apostle John, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, surely understood the depth and meaning of this when he wrote: 

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29

John was Jewish and would have been very familiar with the holiday of Passover, likely celebrating it every year since he was a little boy.  

John was the only disciple who stood close by as Jesus died on the cross. The Bible says that all of the other disciples forsook Him and fled. (Mark 14:50) John saw the blood of Christ flow from His pierced side and wrote: 

"But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." John 19:34-35 

John understood the connection to Jesus being our Passover Lamb. 

Later on in his life, John was given a revelation of heaven and wrote about many things he saw and heard there. John was given a glimpse of the heavenly worship that surrounds God's throne. 

One of the reoccurring themes of heaven is the same thing John wrote about when Jesus was on earth. What is that theme? 

John wrote in Revelation 5:12-13: 

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain..." 

"...Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." 

Even in heaven, Jesus is referred to as the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain. 

Because most Christians are not Jewish (myself included) we don't usually make certain connections, like Jesus being our Passover Lamb, but indeed, He is! 

Last Saturday, I was invited to celebrate Passover with some dear, local, Christian friends. (we celebrated a night early just like Jesus did with His disciples since Jesus died on the day of Passover.) 

I was delighted to have been invited! There were 12 of us there, and they set up our Passover Seder meal on the floor, just like Jesus would have done with His disciples. 

Below are some pictures of our Passover Seder. 

Our Passover Seder on the floor

My place setting

Drinking from the third cup

There are four cups throughout a Passover Seder. The third cup, the cup of redemption, is the cup Jesus lifted up when He said to His disciples: "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Luke 22:20 

Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples the night before He died. The Bible says: 

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." Luke 22:14-15 

When Jesus said, "This do in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19), He was referring to Passover. Jesus basically told His disciples, when you celebrate Passover every year, remember Me! 

Sadly, the Jewish people, as a whole, do not know or recognize Jesus being their Messiah, but someday, the Bible says, they will! When they recognize Him, I know their Passover celebration will be even more special and meaningful to them! What a glorious and incredible day that will be! I believe they will see Jesus clearly throughout the Passover Seder. 

This week, especially on Good Friday, Christians remembered Christ's sacrifice for us when He died on the cross and shed His blood. Although Jesus did not die on a Friday, I'm so glad there is a day set aside for Christians to remember Jesus death. (the Bible says that Jesus was in the tomb for three days and three nights. See Matthew 12:40. It is impossible to get three nights from Friday afternoon/evening to Sunday morning.) 

I wish that every Christian could celebrate the holiday of Passover because, truly, the entire thing points to Christ, and His sacrifice for us. 

Passover was God's plan and idea. Passover is one of God's holidays. I think the reason God told His people, Israel, to celebrate this holiday (feast) forever is because God wanted His people to never forget the freedom and deliverance God brought which ultimately came through the death of His Son, Jesus. 

Today, around God's throne in heaven, they are singing about "The Lamb that was slain" - Jesus, our Passover Lamb.