Yesterday was Easter Sunday, the day Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, celebrated the empty tomb, celebrated a living Savior. A Savior who died to take pay for our sins.
“But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:5-6, ESV)
As I scrolled through social media yesterday I saw over and over the phrase “He is Risen.” I even saved one of the photos so I could post it to my own social media. For some reason I never got around to posting it. It’s a statement I believe to be true. I believe He was crucified. I believe his body was placed in the tomb. And I believe that He was raised up and the tomb was found empty. I believe it with all of my heart.
But what does it all mean for me today? What does it mean when we talk about Christ being risen and what does it mean to have a living savior? What does it mean when we say Christ conquered death?
I thought about these things most of the day yesterday. And for me, it means freedom. It means I don’t have to prove my love, my worth or my goodness. I get to have a relationship with the one who loves me the most. I have someone looking out for my best interest. Someone who wants to use me to help others. Someone who cares about every detail of my life. My smallest problem or concern is not too small to bring to him. It means God gave us the greatest gift-to save us from ourselves and from the hold that the world has on us. He gave us new life.
I am currently reading and working through The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? (you can get it here). Although I know I was created on purpose and I know I have a Creator, it wasn’t until reading this past week that it really sunk in. I wasn’t just created for some vague purpose. I was created for the purpose of being loved by God and to love God back. Let that sink in. You were created by God so he could love you.
I can remember a time in my life when I knew of God, but didn’t really know Him personally. I can remember the struggle with self confidence, worry, anxiety, always trying to meet the expectations of others. I would love to say that once I gave my life to Him that all of those things faded away. I’m still a work in progress. But knowing how much I’m loved, how much I’m sought after and how much He wants to be a part of my life is the greatest comfort I could have. I’m set free from those other things. My Creator loves me and He wants me to love Him back. What is there to worry about?
Yesterday as I remembered the sacrifice made for me, I sat in awe of Him. Counting my blessings, seeing how he has worked so much good out of bad in my life. I’m human. I mess up. I make bad decisions. I can be selfish and stubborn and rebellious. But He can take all of that and transform those into good. And he has, time and time again. And it reminds me to do better. Not because I need to earn his love with good deeds, but because I want to love him back, every second of everyday. I want to give every bit of myself back to him because I am his.
So as you scroll through social media over the next few days and you see some of the “He is Risen” posts still lingering around, take a second to think about what that truly means in your life. What does it mean to you to have a savior who lives? Who loves you enough to die for you and conquered death in the process? I hope that you have given your heart to Jesus. And my hope for you is that you feel his love today. In good times and in bad, rest in the truth that you are loved-because you are.
So much truth here.