First Easter

 Last weekend was my first Easter without my dad.  He'd normally attend the service at TDF.  He'd sit with us and we'd go out to lunch with the whole family afterwards.  This year, TDF held a Saturday evening service in addition to the regular Sunday services.  I was requested for worship team for Saturday's service so that's the one we went to.  A smaller, more intimate crowd.  And I think that was a Godsend for me.  It allowed me to put all of my attention on Him.  No distractions. No big crowd. Just the Word. We sang a song called Mighty Cross.  Of course, tailored to observe Easter and what happened that weekend in biblical history.  The lyrics basically just tell the story or Christ's death and resurrection.

On the day, that death surrendered
To the mighty cross of Jesus Christ
The earth would shake, beneath the weight
Of darkened skies

On His brow, a crown of sorrow
For a King whose weakness is our strength
No word He spoke, His love was shown
For all to see

I'm struck by the descriptions here.  Death surrendering, mighty cross, earth shaking, darkened skies, crown of sorrow, a weak (only in the moment on the cross in his fully human form) King giving us strength, showing love without words.  The saying "Heavy is the head that wears the crown" pops into my mind.  This wasn't just the responsibility that comes with ruling an earthly kingdom.  This was the debt of the entire world being paid by one man.

Oh the cross of Jesus Christ
He's the reason I'm alive
For His blood, has set me free
It will never lose its power for me!

The line, "Oh the cross of Jesus Christ is the reason I'm alive" doesn't mean living and breathing in the literal/earthly sense...it means alive in Christ. Alive for Eternity. We are literally free from eternal death because of His cross.

Now the dawn, of resurrection
Floods the night, as hope prevails to shine
Salvation wakes, our chains to break
And we arise!

This is the point in the song where I get so hyped up!  I picture a bright, white room...light filling every inch, every corner, so that no shadows can even exist in that space. And it's a BIG room.  I picture myself with my arms spread wide, not restricted by anything.  Free from the chains of sin, of fear, of doubt, of darkness. I think of Heaven and what it will be like when I'm finally there.  I think of my dad, who is already there.  Free of everything that weighed him down here.

Oh the cross of Jesus Christ
Is the reason I'm alive
For His blood, has set me free
It will never lose, its power for me!

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Christ my victory!
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
It is won for me

It is already won. We proclaim Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my banner, in every battle we face. This keeps me going a lot of days. We so often exhaust ourselves trying to fight these battles that are already won in Jesus name.

On the day, He comes in glory
To reveal the fullness of His reign
All hearts will bow, before the sound
Of Jesus name!

This day. I CANNOT wait for this day! The older I get, the more I long for Jesus to return and bring me home. Even as a believer, I can't comprehend the fullness of His reign. I logically believe He is Lord of ALL, King of kings. But to see it, to be in His presence...*mind blown*

Oh the cross of Jesus Christ
Is the reason I'm alive
For His blood, has set me free
It will never lose its power for me

The sacrifice of the Father.  The acceptance of it by the Son. For every single person on the planet then and for forever until He comes again. It's a LOT to take in. The power of the cross. The actions of one man, changing the entire course of humanity.  It makes me painfully aware that I don't think about it enough.  

We [believers] go through life (generally), living our day to day, without our focus being on Eternity.  And once a year, we come upon this spring holiday weekend where we shift our focus to observe the events that took place.  We get dressed up in coordinating outfits, go to egg hunts, take pictures with the Easter bunny, go out to lunch or to a homecooked Easter meal, attend a service and sing praises about our risen Savior. But how would our lives look different if we acknowledged the ultimate sacrifice more consistently? If we made it part of our every day lives to think about Jesus dying for the very sins we're probably committing right then? We'll never get it perfect...but we can daily strive for His righteousness.  He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, "the Lord is Our Righteousness".

"'For the time is coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David's line.  He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: The Lord is Our Righteousness.'" - Jeremiah 23:5-6

I'm already anxiously awaiting next Easter, but I can't wait to go to church this weekend...a regular Sunday morning.  Because everything I did to celebrate Him last weekend can be done every. single. day.