Happy late Easter, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating our risen Messiah!
As we know, Easter just ended, and if we are completely honest with ourselves, so did a lot of our thinking about Jesus.
I am guilty of it too. This past week, I spent so much time thinking and meditating on the crucifixion and the resurrection. I decided to try my best to keep my eyes fixed on Him to really take in His love and sacrifice for me and to give Him the worship He so deserves. I listened to my Easter playlist on the way to classes, read a chapter or so in a different Gospel account each morning, watched an episode of the Bible series on Netflix each day (I think you get the picture).
I focused on the Lord more this past week than I had in quite awhile, and I will tell you this, I felt more joy, peace, and contentment than I have in months. Truly letting the cross be enough for me changed the course of my entire week and the state of my mind. This isn't a new concept; Paul explains this to us in Philippians, but how often do we forget it? I can only speak for myself when I say, more than I should.
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 (KJV), "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
For me this week, I thought on the cross and the empty tomb. The cross is not exactly lovely; in fact, it is bloody and almost unbearable to look at. The man who was on it, though, He sure is lovely. His love for us that He would take our cross is pure, lovely, and of good report. The empty tomb is true and honest, and if you are a skeptic and have never looked into the history of the resurrection, I highly recommend you do that (The Case for Christ as well as Man, Myth, Messiah are great places to start). You will find that the resurrection is history.
What I find interesting is that in Philippians 4, Paul speaks a lot on contentment and that being found in Christ alone. Of course we all have heard that before. In the Christian community, this idea is preached and taught on so often, but do we really walk in that? I see so many Christians, including myself, who buy into the enemy's lies that once we graduate from college, we'll be happy or once we get into a relationship, we'll be happy or once we get the GPA we want, we'll be happy.
During Holy Week, I shut down those thoughts the minute they would show up because they are not true, honest, or of good report. I spoke the Gospel over myself each day and reminded myself that I was made whole the moment I accepted Jesus as the Lord of my life. My identity and eternity were both sealed. When the Blood flowed from the cross, my cup was filled; in fact, it started overflowing.
God gave us the secret to contentment through Paul's words in Philippians 4: we change our thinking to thoughts that glorify Him. If simply remembering who Jesus is and what He has accomplished has this big of an effect on us, why don't we do it more? Easter is a beautiful holiday, and we definitely should celebrate; however, He did not stop being risen today. He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, and His Blood still has the power over sin.
Brothers and sisters, if you are having a hard time finding peace in the season you are in right now, I suggest taking a walk up Calvary's hill then heading down to the grave that does not hold a body. You'll be reminded that Christ is more than enough. Or, if you have never made the decision to follow Jesus, His sacrifice can be enough for you today if you simply ask for forgiveness and believe.
