Resurrection Sunday

It's interesting how much attention Christmas gets compared to how much is given to the celebration of our Lord's Death and Resurrection. Is it truly more amazing that God the son, creator and ruler of the universe left his throne to come to earth to take on the form of a man -- a baby, no less -- than it is He should, as a man grown, allow other men, fallen men to distort laws He had given them, unjustly arrest and try Him, then beat Him until He no longer even looked human and finally nail Him to a cross like a common criminal? He knew exactly what He was getting into. He knew who He was and who they were. He didn't have to do it. He could have refused, could have refused in eternity past when the plan was drawn up. But He didn't.

He came, He lived and He died a horrible death, naked before everyone, and like a lamb before his shearers is dumb he opened not his mouth -- until those last three hours on the cross when darkness covered Calvary and the sins of the world were poured out on Him and judged by the Father. It wasn't His physical death that saved us, it was His spiritual death there on that cross in those three hours, when he was made sin for us and separated from His Father for the first time ever.

How do I know that? Becuase after all the torture He'd endured that day, it was the first time He screamed and the original language says He kept on screaming. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Because when it was over, while he was still on the cross and he was still physically alive, He said "Tetelestai!" It is finished, with the result that it keeps on being finished forever.

What He suffered for us we can't really even comprehend, save that it was worse than any suffering any man has ever endured. With it, He bought our freedom from sin and our entry into eternal life with Him, while we were still His enemies. If only we'll believe in Him.

That's the promise of the Resurrection.

Happy Resurrection Sunday to all of you!

Karen