Easter

Contrary to what some people (and Walmart) believe, Easter is not all about candy.  It is also not all about the Easter bunny.  It's not just about eggs, family and good food.  It's not even about church.

Don't get me wrong.  I love my church.  I don't like eggs, but I enjoy coloring them.  The Easter bunny is a cutie.  I love candy.  And anyone who knows me, knows how much I love my family and good food!  These are all great things, fun things, entertaining or enjoyable things.

But that's just not what Easter is about.

(It's not even about the Yankees/Red Sox game I'm enjoying at the moment.)

Put simply, Easter is about Jesus, dying for the sins of man, and rising from the dead on the 3rd day.  Jesus, a perfect being.  100% God and 100% man.  A sinless man who took on our sin, my sin, and was brutally beaten and crucified.  For me.  For you.  He didn't deserve death on a cross.  And we don't deserve an eternity in Heaven.

Yet that's just what we can have.  Our free gift.  Jesus loves us more than anything.  He loves us so much that he was willing to fulfill the plan that God laid out before Him.  And because Jesus gave His life, took our sin to that cross, we can be free.  If only we trust in Him.  Surrender our life and live for Him.

It's that easy.

There an old song (Newsboys I think?) that has 2 lines I love: "When we don't get what we deserve, it's a real good thing; When we get what we don't deserve, it's a real good thing. 

What do I deserve?  I'm a sinner.  I deserve hell.  But I'm not going there!

What am I getting that I don't deserve?  Heaven.  Eternity with Jesus.  Thank God for his amazing gift of eternal life!

And I am so glad that it's not about me.

I recently read a yahoo article about Tiger Woods, and his religion.  He was telling a reporter how his religion is all about how good you are, how much good you do, how moral you are, etc, etc, etc.  (This interview was pre-scandal.)  I read that article thinking to myself, I can't imagine if my standing in God's eyes was dependent upon me.  I would never make it.  I would never be good enough.  If not for God's amazing, saving grace, I would be destined for a life of eternal separation from Him.

Praise God that Jesus' blood covers my sin.  Praise God that my Savior did not stay on that cross or in that tomb.  Have you heard?  Jesus is alive! 

And that's what Easter is about for me.