As believers we celebrate Easter Sunday this month all around the world rejoicing in all that God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ. But before we can truly appreciate all he accomplished for us Easter morning we need to again seriously ponder the depth of his love while suffering for us all on good Friday. Nothing was good at all however about that day two-thousand years ago for Jesus as he willingly hung there in agony all day for you and for me. To appreciate his divinity we need to also understand his humanity. Jesus came to earth the first time as a sacrificial lamb fulfilling his Father's will completely totally surrendering his life. Jesus will return to earth a second time soon but this time he will appear as conquering King!
Because Jesus became sin for us we are now completely forgiven by putting our faith in him. Many today want to try and add to what he's already fully accomplished for us by his death on the cross. When he hung there for us God was demonstrating his love for the whole world to see through his Son hanging up on a tree! Nothing else was or is ever needed to fulfill God's requirement for salvation and so boasting is never allowed. Other religions require rigid fleshly sacrifices and legalistic observances. Thankfully and wonderfully not so for all true believers who know that they're totally forgiven because he's truly risen. There's nothing you or I or anyone can ever do to add to what Jesus has already done for us. Incredibly just before his last breath on the cross he said, "IT IS FINISHED (JOHN 19:30)." He died and rose again paying the penalty himself for all of our sin!
Did you know the apostle Paul said that there is a "crown" awaiting those who eagerly look for the appearing of Jesus Christ (2 TIMOTHY 4:8)? It's obvious then that those who don't believe that he rose from the dead sadly won't be watching for him. In fact Jesus wondered if he would find faith on the earth when he returned (LUKE 18:8). Many today are ignoring the many signs pointing to his return and are not preparing themselves to welcome him. Many also continue dismissing what Paul called a "mystery" in his first letter to the believers in Corinth. And to the church in Thessalonica where referring to believers who had died and also to those who will be alive Paul said this, "THEN TOGETHER WITH THEM, WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE AND REMAIN WILL BE CAUGHT UP IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. THEN WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER (1 THESSALONIANS 4:17)."
Many today are distracted and deceived and they simply don't believe. Here's what Jesus himself had to say about his appearing one coming day, "BE DRESSED FOR SERVICE AND KEEP YOUR LAMPS BURNING, AS THOUGH YOU WERE WAITING FOR YOUR MASTER TO RETURN FROM THE WEDDING FEAST. THEN YOU WILL BE READY TO OPEN THE DOOR AND LET HIM IN THE MOMENT HE ARRIVES AND KNOCKS. THE SERVANTS WHO ARE READY AND WAITING FOR HIS RETURN WILL BE REWARDED. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH HE HIMSELF WILL SEAT THEM, PUT ON AN APRON, AND SERVE THEM AS THEY SIT AND EAT. HE MAY COME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OR JUST BEFORE DAWN. BUT WHENEVER HE COMES HE WILL REWARD THE SERVANTS WHO ARE READY (LUKE 12:35-38)." Will we be ready that day or distracted caught looking the other way?
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