To the One Who Believes

        I simply cannot fathom it...what it would be like to experience this life without the reassuring hope of a loving Jesus. A Savior, my Savior, who protects me from my own destruction and carefully guides me back to the narrow path. A reason to welcome His breath into my lungs each morning with utter gratitude. The opportunity to relive His sacrifice. His willingness to suffer on my behalf, and for no other reason than to make available an intimate friendship with Him which would one day transfer into eternity. Oh, how impoverished this world would be had the third day not represented what it does, had Christ not emerged from that tomb as if He’d never been spat on, mocked, and abused. I am filled with joy knowing that I won’t ever have to imagine such a reality, and to the one who believes in Christ’s sacrifice, neither will you (John 1:12).
        Growing up, I never truly considered the importance of this time of year, and I am sure I am not alone in this truth. Up until I had chosen the path of authentically seeking Christ, my observance of the resurrection was almost as fleeting as my care for the Easter Bunny. Sure, I winced at the gruesome portrayal of the crucifixion in “The Passion of the Christ,” attended a few Easter reenactment plays, and “celebrated” a “risen Savior” with fellow Christians, but truthfully speaking, it hadn’t “hit home” until this time around. So, what made the difference between then and now? What sparked my solemn reflection this Easter season? Dear friend, the difference is in my personalization of Christ’s death and resurrection. Take a moment, and enter into my thought process.
        There exists a God, One Who created everything I see, touch, and experience in this life. The ultimate goal of this grand, Supreme Being is to walk closely with me, hand-in-hand, as my Father and friend. For this to be so, this quintessential God willingly abandoned His perfection to embody the filth of a flawed, corrupted, weak humanity (Phil. 2:8). I am that humanity for whom Perfection (Jesus) tasted sin (1 Peter 3:18). This lowly embodiment led to a slow, loathsome death of whips, nails, dehydration, and mockery. All in all, a tragic story of perfect love. Then, at the epitome of despair, death’s moment was no more, and hope was restored to the world, a world where I would reside. Now, this risen Christ invites me to be a light, not only for Him, but with Him. In moments when I feel too undeserving to accept this invitation, He reminds me why He became like me in the face of pain and loss. He reminds me that He would do it all again, just to have me by His side.
        You see, personalizing what Christ did makes all the difference. It takes what seems to have become a cliché Christian saying, that is, “Jesus died on a cross for you!” and calls for careful consideration of what that actually means in your personal life. To bring it even closer to home, sometimes I think of my own low pain tolerance and imagine nails being hammered into my hands and feet, thorns piercing my skull as I publicly hang unclothed from a tall piece of wood in the heat of the day. Uncomfortable to think about, isn’t it? Well, I think we owe Christ our mild discomfort as we ponder Jesus’ uncomfortable, excruciating reality during the crucifixion. If not, we’ll always forget that He was just as human as we are, that He felt pain no less than you and I do! That alone should put His suffering into perspective. 
        While this is a time of solemn reflection, it is even more so a time of celebration, happiness, and gratitude! A personal, powerful Christ LIVES, and He doesn’t just live, but lives inside of YOU! Do you understand? The same Savior that suffered torment, smiled at death, and then assumed His rightful position on the throne is not just around, beside, or above, but is inside of you! (Friends, you can’t get any closer to someone who is literally in you.) It is because of this truth that we can face the demons of depression, abuse, anxiety, and loss. We can face injustice, unemployment, sickness, and sudden tragedy, and yet still not be taken out! Christ’s resurrection is the reason we can still laugh, still pursue our goals, still look forward to living, and living well. When we have the kind of power that defeated death alive inside of us, how can we not choose to be grateful at every moment? How can we relish in feelings of dissatisfaction and hopelessness? Christ is hope and you and I have Christ. Friend, that hope is ours to keep (Rom. 15:13). 

I encourage you to personalize this redemptive story. Read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death as if it were only for you. Celebrate His life and the opportunity to live beside Him. Delight in the gift of the promise of Christ’s perfect love to the one who believes.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”
John 11:25-26