Easter – Another Holiday
– so, now we’ll be carrying our own cross…? Or…?
Another holyday, another “cultural day”, another day off – or…?? Just stop for a minute! I mean actually stop…!!
The fact that Jesus, God’s only son, chose to sacrifice Himself for YOU, actually has far greater ramifications than “oh, well”. We often think about Jesus dying and rising again – period. But He did much more than that. At the time (2000 years ago) many criminals were crucified, but Jesus actually had the choice. At any given time, He could have escaped or for that matter commanded an army of angels to take him down from the cross. But because Jesus wanted us – who don’t “deserve” to be in the presence of God by any stretch of the imagination – once again to have fellowship with God (our heavenly Father), it was necessary for Him to do what He did.
Imagine for a minute that you did a bad thing – that you can’t even face yourself – that guilt and shame you are carrying, and which BINDS YOU, Jesus brought with Him on the cross. The illness that plagues you, the unworthiness you live with, and the inferiority you yourself or others have burdened you with, all that Jesus bore on the cross. ALL THE GUILT, SHAME, and DISEASE IN THE WORLD, Jesus bore on the cross VOLUNTARILY, so YOU could be free!!! Jesus was carrying so much guilt, sin, uncleanliness, etc. on Him that God had to turn His back on Jesus, because God couldn’t abide all that sin because of His holiness! Jesus took the step to make it up to you, whether YOU will now make Him the Lord of your life – i.e. believe in Him, turn from an unclean life and be baptized to belong to Him.
Even if you had 10 million dollars a year, it wouldn’t make you happy (on the contrary, life loses its value and you become tied down), having lots of friends wouldn’t make you happy – that’s just on the surface! But He who created you has chosen YOU for YOU to receive Him, so He can lead you out of bondage – and you must accept, even though you feel unworthy and undeserving, that JESUS PAID THE PRICE for YOU – IF you will receive it. Will you…???
Last night, Birte and I prayed for a Buddhist, who as such believes that they have to carry the torments of life themselves, so they can learn from them. They deserve any adversity they get, and they must “carry their own cross”…. This person chose to let Jesus carry the cross for him and let HIM step in, although the person felt unworthy!
Jesus paid the price for you! Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for you! God has NEVER turned his back on you! But you have turned your back on HIM, in spite of what He did for you – sacrifice His own son. Will you lay down your own pride? Will you receive what He has done for you – and receive eternal life in Heaven with Him…?
Lay down your pride, lay down your money, lay down your family, lay down everything you have and hold – and give it to Jesus. Let HIM be the one to manage your “riches”, because in Him you have EVERYTHING, and without Him you only have the things that have value here on earth – and what is the value of that, if you fail to choose Jesus for eternity??
STOP !! Let this be an Easter where you choose!!!! DO NOT let it be another “cultural day” or another “day off”, because JESUS IS RISEN!
Andreas Slot-Henriksen
April 2017
