He is Risen…

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said….” Matthew 28:6

One of the best things about being an aunt is seeing faith develop through the eyes of a child. My oldest nephew, around this time last year, was just old enough to begin to understand the meaning behind Easter. He was speaking in broken sentences and melted your heart on a daily basis. As my sister and brother-in-law started to teach Dawson about Easter you could see the wheels turning in his mind. The concepts, admittedly, were still a little too abstract for a child of 3. Lets be honest, they can be difficult for adults to understand! But he listened intently as his parents taught him the story. Now I’m not sure how many repetitions it took before the seeds of truth started to take root, but take root they did and slowly Dawson started to understand the concept. His eyes would light up as we discussed the story of Easter and why we celebrate this special day in history. My sister would get to the point in the story where Jesus had been buried in the tomb, and a few days later the women had gone to prepare the body of their beloved Christ. She would ask as specific question each time she got to this pivotal moment in the story, “What happened next Dawson?” And the response each time was the same. With eyes wide with excitement, Dawson would throw his arms out and proudly proclaim, “No body!”

I think I can become so used to the concepts of Easter and the facts of history that I lose something of the impact this should have on my heart. But last year, when I heard my sweet nephew excitedly proclaim that there was “No body,” I was reminded of the deep wonder in this truth!

Jesus Christ conquered death. Even the seemingly absolute and all-encompassing power of death could not hold Him! He is Risen my friends. Don’t let that truth pass you by this season. Sit and think on this truth. This isn’t a fairy tale or some myth, this is a cold hard fact. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Don’t be tempted into thinking that this is just some story inflated by time and retelling- That this is similar to any “fish story” you hear on a regular basis. “That fish was 2 feet long and weighted 20 pounds!” This story is without a doubt true. And without this truth the story of Jesus would not be worth recounting, let alone believing in.

Jesus being both fully man and fully God lived a life-like you and I, and then gave up that life so that each of us would be saved. Before His sacrifice the blood of animal sacrifice was all that could be used to cover our sins. The symbolism being that in God’s mercy, He has allowed an animal sacrifice to cover over my sins. This animal would die in my place, because we all know from Romans 6:23 that the cost of sin is death. We also know from Romans 3:23 that every single one of us is guilty. No one is without sin. So each of us is in desperate need of our sins being paid for. In the past, the price would have been paid through an animal’s life for my sin, as a result making me “clean” or “pure” again.

But this was an imperfect system.  Animal sacrifice was never enough, it could never completely cover every sin. And because Gods love for us runs so deep He sent His son knowing Jesus would become the perfect and complete sacrifice. Able to cover over all our sins! Jesus lived a perfect life, without sin, and in giving up his life made the ultimate sacrifice. He was willing to give up His own life. Not only that but give up His life in a more painful way than many of us could imagine. He was willing to suffer pain upon pain, humiliation, desertion all so we could once again be in relationship with His Father. His death paid for all sin. All the sins I have committed in the past, all the sins I will commit in the future- They are covered. His death is powerful enough to cover over all of humanities sins! They need only accept Him as the Savior they so desperately need. But the story does not end with Jesus’ death.

When even the disciples thought all was lost, a miracle happened. The grave could not hold our God! He rose again! There was “No body”- Hallelujah and Amen! I serve a God who loved me enough to provide a way to be in relationship with Him. I was the one that screwed that up. Humanity chose sin over God. But God, in His grace, said that won’t be the end of the story. He sent his Son. When God looks at you as a believer, He sees the perfect sacrifice of His son. What a miracle that is! He no longer sees all only my junk and brokenness. He first and foremost sees the righteousness I receive through Jesus’ sacrifice. I am “made right” with God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

What a powerful story. I am loved by my Creator. I was loved so much by His Son that He was willing to give up his very life. Dwell on this truth. Let it sink in friends. Don’t gloss over the power in this story as you celebrate Easter this weekend. Take a look at this story through the eye’s of a 3-year-old little boy, who, with a twinkle in his eye, throws his arms out and proclaims “NO BODY”. He has given us grace upon grace. And He will continue to give us just enough grace for today…

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If all of this is still a little confusing for you, I encourage you to take a look at the link below. Maybe you haven’t quite made a decision about Christ yet, or maybe the reason Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary is still a little muddled in your mind. This video has a great explanation of why Jesus is necessary. Take a look.

The Bible Project “Sacrifice and Atonement”