I was surprised when I recently looked at the date on my last post at how long ago it was. It’s almost Easter, so I’ll take this opportunity to say that I hope everyone may have a blessed Easter. That would mean two different “everyone’s.”
First, for those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and came to Earth, lived as fully human and fully God, was killed by crucifixion on a cross and then rose from the dead, this is a holiday to celebrate His life and that very resurrection with joy. He told us that if we believe in Him, we can live forever with Him in Heaven even after our own Earthly passing. The fact that He rose from the dead shows us that life after death is possible.
Second, for those who don’t believe in Jesus, Who is part of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I hope you have a blessed Easter by realizing that Jesus is true and your whole life can be changed by believing in Him. I hope you will recognize Him as your Savior who lived a perfect life so that His sacrifice could be offered in atonement for the sins of all humans. In other words, because of Jesus, God the Father will accept you into heaven if you believe in His Son.
You in the second group, don’t let the evils of this world keep you from believing in God. As is repeated constantly, God did not make robots. He made people with free will, and that can result in bad choices which hurt others. Also, the sins of the first parents brought on fallen nature, so natural disasters are bound to happen. But Jesus is perfect. He doesn’t cheat on you, like a spouse might have done. He doesn’t abandon you, like a parent might have done. He doesn’t introduce you to destructive drugs, like so-called friends might have done. Yet He leaves you to decide whether to accept or reject His offer to come to Him. If you reject Him, you will find that after you die, it is you who have made the choice to be alone (or in bad company at any rate).
It is good for all of us to once in a while think about what happens when we die. There are no guarantees how long we will live, which should be very apparent considering these past 12 months. What do you really want to happen when you die? God Himself has come and told us what to expect. It is as simple and yet critical for each of us to make a commitment to the Lord.
Easter is the wonderful reminder that we can live in joy even after death, as long as we believe in the One who rose.
