The Story of Easter Part 03
“And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.” - Mark 16:6.
It seems too grand an event, too unfathomable a moment, too great to believe or talk of, and yet, it is true, every bit of it. Jesus Christ gruesomely died on the cross and rose again three days later. This is not just some fanciful fairy tale, but the most incredible, extraordinary true love story. This is the message the Bible is all about, with every story before this pointing to His death and resurrection and every story afterward, looking back on it because it is the gospel that saves us. The work on the cross brings those dead in their trespasses back to life and into the arms of the Savior forevermore. Jesus Christ, in His crucifixion and resurrection, is the fulfillment of a promise made by God for you and me.
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”- Isaiah 53:4-5.
He was pierced, crushed, and wounded for us. He drank the bitter cup of wrath so that we could have salvation. He broke his body so we can have everlasting life in Him. He suffered the cross, taking every sin so we could be made new. Jesus’ love is incomparable. His love is unconditional. His love is unbelievable, and yet, we can believe it. The proof is in the cross. The evidence is in the resurrection.
His blood poured out, covering us. It cleanses us, exchanging our filthy rags of sin into garments white as snow. His love makes us new; the old has passed away. His love brings us to the Father, into His faithful embrace. His love calls us His own. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” - John 11:25. Jesus Christ is alive, and He is the Life! Hosanna to God in the highest, He has saved us. We glorify and praise His name, the name above every name, because He is our Risen Savior!
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
-When I survey the Wondrous Cross, Isaac Watts
Parts 01-03 of this blog series were written and edited by Andrea Gutierrez. To read more of her passion for Christ, sanctifying motherhood, and raising children for the Kingdom follow her @dearlittlewolves