Easter is my absolute most favorite holiday. You may be wondering why so of course, I will share. Ok, I'm going to ask you right now to do something I've never asked you to do in any of my blogs....open your BIBLE! Turn for a second to a few verses that mean something to me about the story of Easter, the story of our Lord's Resurrection, the story of OUR forgiveness. You may be surprised that I am going to point you in the direction of Isaiah. We are going to take a minute to look at the story of Easter through a different set of eyes.
Let's look at Isaiah 53:1-12 ( ok, ok, so I'm going to post it here for those of you that are unsure of where to go in your Bible)
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
This scripture is one of my favorites to read. Everytime I read it, I can see my Lord and Savior being led to his death for me. The fact that my Lord never opened his mouth, never said anything but instead took up all our sins on the cross, there just aren't enough words in my heart to express my gratitude. I most certainly know that I could never have kept my mouth shut. Yet, our Lord did. And with His death, came renewal for all of us. The Easter story is my most treasured story. It's the ultimate story of renewal, of starting anew, of second chances.
As Luci Swindoll once wrote, "Each of us has something broken in our lives: a broken promise, a broken dream, a broken marriage, a broken heart...and we must decide how we're going to deal with our brokenness. We can wallow in self-pity or regret, accomplishing nothing and having no fun or joy in our circumstances; or we can determine with our will to take a few risks, get out of our comfort zone, and see what God will do to bring unexpected delight in our time of need." She's right, just think about it for a few seconds. Would you rather see what God will do, or wallow in self-pity opening the door to Satan?
What do you need to let go of this Easter season? What needs to be renewed in you that only God can make fresh again? He is the God of restoration. He is the God of wholeness. How blessed are we that He is Our God.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Lord, You are my rock and my strength. You have told me time and time again through the book of Matthew, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30). With you, there is no burden that I can not handle, for you, like a lamb being lead to the slaughter, have carried my sins and shed your blood for my forgiveness. May I remember that with each new spring comes the reminder of your sacrifice for me. With each new day comes renewal that only You can give me. Let me always trust in Your promises and continue to grow in my faith in You. Let me draw strength from the renewal that only You can offer from Your unending love for me. Amen
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