Yesterday was Easter again. What? Well we got to have two Easters this year.
Firstly, there was the Catholic/Protestant Easter of April 8th, the one you celebrated with Easter eggs (I only mention that because I don’t get to have Easter eggs this year) [Ok that’s not true, I found some of the little bags of mini-chocolate eggs in the supermarket, but they don’t have any of the big hollow ones I associate with Easter so I feel I’ve missed out].
Secondly, there was the Orthodox Easter of April 15th yesterday (we have been blessed with some great Serbian cooking both weeks though so I can’t complain) [although it’s not the Sunday roasts I’m used to from home].
Now, why have I included some back and forth bickering within myself concerning some of the secondary aspects of Easter? Well, that’s the reason right there – because they are secondary aspects. As I’m sure you know, especially because we spend time every year encouraging everyone to get back to the real reason for Easter (just like we do with Christmas), the point of Easter has nothing to do with chocolate eggs, roast dinners or otherwise.
Well my team mate Amanda came up with a great illustration of the point and application of Easter that she shared with a house group in one of the nearby villages that we ministered to the other night. Let me share that as we reflect on Easter 2012.
There were several places from which blood flowed out of and down Jesus body:
- Jesus back bled from the whipping and scourging that He suffered before the crucifixion.
- Jesus head bled from crown of thorns forced onto His brow, pouring down his face.
- Jesus hands bled from the nails forced through them to hold Him on the cross.
- Jesus feet bled from the nails forced through them too.
- Jesus side bled from the spear forced into it to confirm His death.
And these places can help us remember the different reasons for why Jesus shed His blood on the cross:
- We turn our backs on God and what He has for us, in a big way before we come to Him and commit our lives to Him, and in the small ways each day we ignore His voice and don’t pursue His plans.
- We hold in our heads thoughts that are not honouring to God, we value things that we shouldn’t, we feed our minds with things that are not good for us.
- We use our hands for dishonourable purposes, we sin in the things that we do, we fight.
- We use our feet to go places that we shouldn’t go, or to not go to the places that we should do.
- We hold in our hearts desires that are not pure, that are selfish.
Because of Jesus death on the cross and resurrection we can:
- Repent (literally, turn around) and face God again, facing the things that we need to face for the good of ourselves and others.
- Fix our minds on the gospel and be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
- Use our hands to build the kingdom, build up those around us, hold those who need to be held, and so on.
- Run toward God and go to the places where there is need and to the place that God is calling us to go, feet fitted firmly with the gospel of peace.
- Submit our hearts to God – having the desires of God become our desires, being fully in love with Him.
