My Jesus

Words seem so inadequate when trying to describe what Easter means to both the believer & the unbeliever. Some may say that the unbeliever is unaffected by Easter. To that, I say, "If only the unbeliever knew..."

Knew what? There's so much to know about my Jesus. Just His name effects my physical being. I cannot hear or say His name without my body eliciting a physical response. It's a feeling in my heart that I can't quite describe. My heart beats just a little stronger, maybe a bit more rapidly too. Sometimes I think it misses a beat. It's a knowing. Knowing that there is only one Jesus. Knowing that without His sacrifice our world would not be the same.

It's not just that He was without sin (unlike any human being). It's not just that He beat death. That's right, after being crucified on the cross, He rose from His grave. To think that He was beaten (probably beyond recognition) before His crucifixion for my foolish sins. I am humbled. He should not have had to die for me.

There are so many details about Jesus that blow my mind. He was born in a stable because the inn keeper said no. During His earthly life, He fulfilled over 300 prophesies. The odds of 1 person fulfilling just 8 of these prophesies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power  (Peter Stoner in Science Speaks). He sacrificed His life for me. He had the personality of a sheep. Perhaps that's why He was called The Lamb of God. He allowed Himself to be tortured for me who wasn't even born yet.

My Jesus met people where they were. His very presence cut to the quick of their hearts. If they hadn't taken time to evaluate the condition of their heart, being in His presence seemed to help them reach their defining moment & decide on which side of the coin they would place their faith. His compassion was beyond measure. Even in his dying moment, He took time to tell a thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise that very day.

Sometimes we Christians forget what our Jesus was about, & as Tony Nolan writes, "We fail to show the God we know." Our world is confusing. Dear friends & loved ones suffer heartaches daily. Our world is broken. Our God loved us too much to make us robots. He knew we needed a choice or it wouldn't be love at all.

With choice comes brokenness. Through brokenness, we find our defining moments. Sometimes that's how we find our faith. Our brokenness builds our character. If we let it, it softens our hearts & helps us reach out to others. Our pain fuels us to depend on God's presence, to find Jesus & let Him reign in our broken hearts.

Take a moment & imagine our world & where we would be (believer or not) if Christ had not died on the cross for our ridiculous sins so that we could be forgiven. We would likely still be sacrificing unblemished animals. I believe our world would be more broken than it is. Jesus was no ordinary king. He didn't have wealth (just the sandals on His feet). He was a servant. He loved the sinner; that's all of us. He taught us to evaluate our own sin & forgive the sins of others. He taught us extraordinary love.

After 33 years on this earth, He ascended into Heaven, leaving us with the Holy Spirit. Some say my Jesus is a liar. Some say He was just a good teacher. Some think He was a lunatic. Some people just don't know what to think. Then there are those who say He was a prophet. Still others say He was a nice man. Whatever your take, you have to admit, without Him, without Easter, our world would be even darker than it is. Who do you say that He is?