Easter, the Meaning

Easter Article

By Maryann Y.

 "As they were going out, they met a man form Cyrene,  named Simon, and forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha(which means, The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall*; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. Above His head they placed the written charge against Him:     This is Jesus, King of the Jews.   Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right, and one on His left. Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying,:You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! Come down from the cross, it You are the Son of God!" 

In the same way the chief priests mocked Him. "He saved others," they said, "but He can't save Himself! He's the King of Israel! Let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue Him now if He wants Him." Matthew 27:32-44

 I don't know about you, but I always get mad when I read this passage. How dare the chief priests! If only they knew who they were talking to,

Can you imagine putting yourself in Jesus' place, and the VERY PEOPLE your are saving are mocking and ridiculing you.  Jesus is taking all the sin in the world  on Himself, and the people of Israel are rejecting and denying Him, to the point of killing Him. The people He loved. The people He was DYING for. John 15:13 says, 

"Greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends." And Jesus did that. He lay down His life for His friends. But some of them rejected Him. And let me tell you, crucifixion is a really  cruel way to die. And they didn't just crucify Him; first they beat Him up. They spat at Him, and hit Him, They even blindfolded Him, then struck Him, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ, who hit You?" Matthew 26:68

Then the guards took Him, and beat Him. After seeing Pilate, He was flogged. Then they even put Him in a "scarlet robe, and then twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and o=mocked Him. 'Hail, King of the Jews.!' they said, They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to be crucified."  Matthew 27:28-31.

 The thorns probably dug into His skin, and they beat Him with a rod, which can really hurt.

  "From the sixth hour through the ninth hour darkness came all over the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" - which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He is calling Elijah."

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Leave Him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save Him."

 And when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit.

At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two form top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks split." Matthew 27:45-51

 He died for every person on the planet, lots which have refused Him. It says in Luke 23:45 that the very sun stopped shining.

Then the people buried Him, and put Him in a tomb.

But that is not how the story ends. That was the beginning of a new story. Luke 24:1-12 tells how the women went to the tomb, but found the stone rolled away, with no body inside. And,"AS they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them."Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has Risen! Remember now He told you , while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered His words. " Luke 24:1-8

(emphasis added)

Hallelujah!  He rose from the grave; He conquered death. And today, you can choose to follow Him.

Ephesians 2:1-10 : As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up in Christ, and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might Show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not by works, so that o man could boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. " 

Make that decision today; Trust me on this.