EASTER is just one of the items on the Church Calendar each year.
Or is it?
When we are young Easter may centre around those chocolate eggs and everything that seems to depict cuddly little yellow chicks.
When we are young Easter may centre around a family roast and little egg hunts.
When we are young Easter may centre around one of those twice a year visits to church.
When we are young and actively involved in church Easter may centre around pictures of an empty cross and tomb.
But what about now that we are older?
Are the chocolate eggs and yellow chicks forgotten?
Do we still get together as a family for that big meal?
Do we still go to church on Easter Sunday?
To some of those the answer may well be - YES?
but
Do we still focus our thoughts on the cross & the tomb?
Most of us will not have been able to grow up without hearing about the cross and the tomb but did we really pay attention to the WHY?
The first "Why" I want to look at is the DEATH.
We know he died and his body was put into the tomb and then we know that the tomb was found empty but often our thoughts of Easter stop right there at the empty tomb and we forget to go on and see what it means for us. What it has meant right from that resurrection day until now and will continue to mean for all of us for the rest of our lives and for eternity.
Jesus through His DEATH and RESURRECTION defeated DEATH forevermore.
He defeated DEATH for us the ones who deserved death as the punishment for our sins.
He defeated DEATH so that the fear of it would not have to hover over us and taint our lives.
He defeated DEATH so that the devil would not have that to use to control us.
The second "Why" I want to look at is the GUILT.
We know Christ died because people hated Him and would rather He be killed than someone who had already been found guilty of terrible crimes. Jesus was the one who took Barabbas' guilt there and then that day as the people watched the truly guilty person walk away.
Jesus through His death and resurrection also took our GUILT that day and we need to remember this. We the guilty were replaced by the true innocent one, Jesus was and is the true, perfect sacrifice once and for ever for our sins.
Jesus stepped into our place for us the GUILTY ones who deserve death as the punishment for our sins.
He wiped away our GUILT so that it would not have power over our minds.
He took our GUILT on himself so that anguish, worry and stress would not destroy us.
The third "Why" I want to look at is the SIN.
We know Jesus was "without sin" from the following verses
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
2 Corinthians 5:21
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
Hebrews 4:15
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
Hebrews 9:28
"Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:"
1 Peter 2:22
"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."
1 John 3:5