Just Me

In two weeks it will be Easter - Resurrection Sunday.

How much do we really prepare our hearts for that day? I will be the first to admit that every day should be a celebration of Resurrection Sunday but...

We celebrate other holidays for long periods, but many times it seems Easter Sunday is just for the day. Many times it is the only time people go to church! (Sometimes at Christmas, too.)

Without Resurrection Sunday there would be no HOPE!

In the next couple of weeks I am going to take the opportunity on different days to think on and explore different aspects of what Jesus did for me (and you!) on the cross of Calvary.

We are still meditating on Isaiah in Sunday School. Something that was said today really struck home with me. Read the following Scriptures I have below.

Isaiah 53:3, 4, 5, 7, 10

(3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs,and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
(5) He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
(7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
(10) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul and offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure o the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Did you read carefully the first part of verse 10? It PLEASED the Lord to bruise him!?

Until today I have read that passage and *knew* what it meant. I knew that Jesus took all my sin on Him and He bore it all so that I could have atonement... freedom from sin if I only looked to Him and accepted Him as my Savior.

I had never really meditated on the fact that it PLEASED the Heavenly Father to bruise His Son.

I know how it feels when Steve and I have to discipline Wesley and Mikayla. It is hard and not something we enjoy but we also know there are "rewards" to that discipline that will come in the future.

This is what God saw when it PLEASED Him to bruise His Son.

God saw the whole picture! He knew that by Jesus dying on the cross, taking that torture, unjust blame and giving of Himself for US that the rewards were in the future.

God sees in an eternal way... we see in a sin-cursed earthly way. We can never understand the thoughts of God, but in this instance, I finally SEE what this meant. God knew that if Jesus never died on that cross and gave His life, the sin would never be covered and we would be lost from Him forever. He WANTS all to come to Him and does not want any to perish! Therefore, He knew that Jesus would rise again from the dead and Jesus' suffering would not last for eternity. If we got what we deserved - separation from God forever in Hell- we would suffer forever.... No HOPE.

This is why it pleased the Father to cause this to come upon His Son. Just as Steve and I know that discipline has to occur for Wesley and Mikayla to grow up to be "fruitful" and God-honoring adults in this life, so did the suffering have to occur to Jesus so that we may have eternal life with God, our Creator and Father. He is our HOPE.

Isaiah 55:8, 9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Take time to prepare your heart and mind today for what was done for you some 2,000 years ago on Calvary.