Celebration of Resurrection Week!

And so with the sun coming up bright and strong, my favorite holy time of the years begins.

I survive Christmas- barely : ) each year. I'm just not a Christmas person. But I am a Christ-person.

The time of year we celebrate our Lord and Savior's gift of Himself, He Who is Eternal Life, the Prince of Life.

If Jesus, God Himself, hadn't been crucified, dead, buried and RESURRECTED- we would still be in our sins, separated from God and have no life and no hope. Jesus, through His blood- ushered in the New Covenant of Grace. We would not be children of God. We would not have a new Father (John 1:12, 14:6).

But He did so much more for us through the Cross. For years all I knew about was Jesus "paid for my sins" and "brought forgiveness for my sins" through the Cross. To which I am eternally grateful. But He began to reveal to me- the multi-purposes of His life, ministry, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension.

If I just believed in Him, said a prayer- I would be forgiven from sin and saved from hell.

But oh thank You, God- there's so much more!

According to Isaiah 53:4-6:
Jesus bore OUR griefs,
He carried OUR sorrows,
He was wounded, pierced and crushed THROUGH for OUR transgressions and iniquities,
His severe discipline BROUGHT US peace.

Jesus, beloved Man of Sorrow- King of Glory- acquainted Himself with OUR Grief- humbled Himself- to the point of death-

For me. For you. For all of mankind.

Mankind is the one who chose independence of God. Independence of God is the very essence of sin.

We went astray-
"We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way;"

and yet God-
"and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
-Laid on Jesus, the Anointed Messiah, ALL the iniquity of ALL of mankind upon Him.

Let us begin this holy week remembering Who Jesus is and what He has done for us, to us, in us and through us!