Can you imagine what things were like that day? How awful the sight to see. Jesus walking, bearing our cross. Then beaten and abused for sin He did not do, sin that we did, as He hung on that hill in Golgotha. In my head I have an image and my heart screams, stop, no, He doesn’t deserve it! For to see such abuse is more than I can process. The pain He bore, in an act of selfless, unconditional sacrificial love. He was humiliated, called names, spit on, hit, abused, and nailed on a cross. The worse punishable death came from a man who never did anything wrong. Sinless. Yet, His love covered us from the punishment we so deserved. Dying, so that we could live eternally with our Father in heaven. Then watching Him beaten and bloodied and still using His final breath to say, “It is finished.” Redemption accomplished through the blood He shed and our cross He bore.

Can you imagine what things were like three days later? The guards feeling the earth quake below them as a bright angel of the Lord was revealed, rolling that very large stone aside. Then standing beside both Mary’s being reassured by the angel that Jesus has risen! The overwhelming excitement that He has risen! Then seeing Jesus face to face. Oh, what a sight to behold! What a miraculous moment of glory to know that our King lives, just as it was written. That He truly died and rose again, that we may live, despite our sin!

Jesus still lives; inside our hearts and every day we get to choose whether we will walk with Him. He loves us all now, as much as He did that day, He died up on that cross for us. God sent His Son to die so we can live with Him in heaven someday. Friend, today is Easter and what a glorious reminder of the love our Father has for us. It is not in an Easter Bunny. It is not in easter eggs, candies and gifts. Though those are fun, may we not lose sight of what today represents. Jesus, the cross, resurrection, redemption, salvation, true love.

I hope that you and your loved ones have a wonderful Easter celebrating this gift of salvation through Jesus who died for our sins and rose again three days later. Happy Resurrection Day friends!!

Erin Fitts-Brower

Resurrection Day

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 28 NIV

Jesus Has Risen

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”