He is RISEN!!

There is something magical about this time of year.  And no, I don't mean bunnies who bring lots of chocolates and colored eggs.  It's a magical time of year when Christians all over the world think of the astounding sacrifice our sweet Jesus made for us.  And it's magical time of year when people who normally sleep in on Sundays drag out of bed, dress up and GO to church! 


On Friday, I went to my church and went through a dramatazation called the Stations of the Cross.  It is a depiction of the likely last hours of Christ.  Our particular church provides a little booklet that Scripture references and suggested prayers to think on as you go from place to place. 


The Stations themselves are usually a series of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:



1.Jesus is condemned to death
2.Jesus is given his cross
3.Jesus falls the first time
4.Jesus meets His Mother
5.Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6.Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7.Jesus falls the second time
8.Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
9.Jesus falls the third time
10.Jesus is stripped of His garments
11.Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12.Jesus dies on the cross
13.Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14.Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

As I went from place to place, I will admit that some of them touched me more than others.  #4 when Jesus meets His mother is especially touching for me.  As a mother, we never want to see our children suffer.  I can not even begin to imagine the anguish that Mary felt, seeing her CHILD punished this way.  Yes, I know she understood that He was her Lord and Savior.  But you know, this was her CHILD.  The baby that she delivered herself, that she nursed at her breast, that she watched take His first steps.  And to watch Him make that journey to that Cross. . . man, I just can't imagine.


I also personally struggle with the specific aspects of the Crucifixion.  A former minister spoke once on what likely happened to His body, in a very physical way, as far as dislocations of His shoulders and hypovolemic shock.  As an RN, this really touched me.  And so whenever I see a representation of Christ's crucifixion, I can't help but think on the specifics.  And it hurts my heart. 


But you know what?  It is SUPPOSED to hurt my heart.  I am SUPPOSED to think on the sacrifice that was made for MY sins.  I am SUPPOSED to think of how He lived a perfect, sinless life and took the most horrible, severe form of punishment known to man, in MY PLACE.  So my heart has been heavy in the last 2 days, dwelling on these things. 


BUT TOMORROW!!!!!  Oh, wow!  TOMORROW will be a CELEBRATION!  Tomorrow we will read about and study what happened next!  The stone was rolled away and the TOMB WAS EMPTY!  Because our gracious God had already RAISED OUR JESUS FROM THE DEAD!!!!  He now sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us!  Hallelujah!!


So I am so excited about tomorrow, thinking on the wonderful, MAGICAL time I will have in my beloved church home, sitting next to my MAN, sharing in the Lord's Supper, and celebrating the wonder of God's perfect plan. . . for my salvation . . through the tortured blood of Christ Jesus. . . my Savior!!!


THANK YOU, LORD