My Jesus ~ My Saviour

As we celebrate Easter ~ Resurrection Sunday ~ my mind is swirling with hundreds of thoughts of Jesus, the Father and all that happened before, during and after His crucifixion. I am full of excitement and wonder as I meditate on the Lord Jesus actually being resurrected and given a new glorious body. As He walked in and around Galilee He was greeted by Mary Magdalene, spent time with the disciples and others. He not only allowed but received their worship.

I am also having flashes of Him walking down the road to Calvary…….. unable to physically function properly, emotions running wild, fear building, panic rising, excruciating pain from the scourging and beatings, struggling mentally from the immense blood loss………. His suffering.
Lingering on this........... we, humans, are so quick to remove ourselves from any kind of suffering. I recently watched, Saving Sarah Cain, in which she inherits, her five nieces and nephews after their parents have died. The children are Amish and she has moved them to a big city, placing them in public school. She is making plans to enroll them and get them situated and mentions that they’ll all go shopping for new school clothes. To this the children decline and state that, “plain is how they were raised and plain is how they will stay” to which Sarah says, “I just thought it would be easier on you guys.” The oldest of the siblings, steps forward to announce confidently, “Easy is NOT something that we seek.”

That is probably my favorite line in the movie. I am so tempted to opt for the easy way out or the easy way through a situation, which in most cases is not what would be most beneficial for me. What is most beneficial is not to “get through this life” but to experience God by pressing into Him and enduring suffering. The bible tells us to, “…. rejoice in our sufferings, because suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us.”

So how does Jesus' suffering tie into my suffering….. I believe that He suffered for many reasons, to bring us to God, to restore us to Himself, to give us joy, to bring glory to Himself, etc., but also that our suffering might produce fruit. Suffering I've endured has produced endurance and character and hope and I have become less ashamed of my sin or of the gospel. The Holy Spirit is there to constantly remind me of all that Jesus Christ went through while I was still His enemy and that His suffering has brought me freedom, freedom from my sin and freedom from the grip of the fear of death.

Let me state that the suffering I have endured or will endure doesn’t compare to what Jesus went through or what many humans go through. But I do not feel guilty about the amount, no matter how great or little, because I know that it is being handed down to me through God’s hands, it's tailor-made for me and it is so for all of humanity.

So as I celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and reign over heaven, earth and also over my mind and heart I am surpassingly grateful, receiving His mercy humbly, desiring to walk in obedience, praying to love Him above all else, willingly submitting my will to His, and asking that the suffering ordained for me just like His was ordained for Him will produce in me a more glorious representation (image) of Jesus Christ, Himself. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Sprit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Let us go into the Holy of Holies with Him this week, so close that we shine with the glory of the Lord. May we not be ashamed or tempted to diminish our time spent with Him by putting on a veil but let us walk uprightly as children who are graced with full access to the throne of thrones. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, over His entire universe, our very great reward, JESUS CHRIST. Praise You Lord!!
HAPPY EASTER, everyone!!!

0 comments: