The cold snowy winds of winter weaken into soft and gentle spring rains.
Easter arrives on our calendars.
A time of reflection, renewal, and revelation.
A time to pause.
I think about the day of Jesus’ death and I am in awe.
In awe of him.
As the son of God, he was still human.
He was fully man.
He felt the same emotions and physical pains we do.
And yet he sacrificed himself for us.
For us. For you. For me.
He did it for love.
It was a horrific and painful day of dying.
He did not lash out against his tormentors.
He did not defend himself against false accusations.
He forgave his abusers while they gambled over his clothing.
He commissioned his brother to care for his mother.
He did it for love.
He did not think about himself.
Even in his pain.
He thought of others.
Us. You. Me.
Mercy. Grace. Forgiveness. Love.
He did it for love.
In excruciating pain. Dying.
Knowing he was innocent.
Knowing he would be tortured.
Knowing he would die.
He gave it all.
He sacrificed everything.
He endured the pain to rise again in glory.
He did it for me.
He did it for you, too.
He did it for love.
He knew I would betray him, deny him, wound him, and ignore him before I knew him.
In my selfishness, I still go my own way, for my own comfort, with my own desires.
I still wound him.
He did it for love.
Despite his marvellous example of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love I still fall short.
I struggle to find mercy even when I have been shown mercy.
I valiantly defend myself even when I have no excuses.
I withhold grace from myself and others because of my self-righteous judgements.
I struggle to forgive - others and myself even though I have been forgiven.
He did it for love.
But Jesus forgives me, is gracious to me, shows me mercy, and wraps me in love.
He died for love.
He died for me. He died for you.
So we could live.
So we could have grace, mercy, forgiveness and love.
He did it for love.
“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
And so my friend, on this day, this time of reflection.
Stand with me in awe of Jesus.
Breathe deeply of his grace.
Close your eyes and feel his mercy.
Exhale into his forgiveness.
Relax into the arms of love.
Believe in him for the promise of heaven.
He did it for us, for you, for me.
He did it for love.
Now I pause and reflect on this easter season.
May my life be like Jesus.
A reflection of his love.
He suffered and died and rose again.
To bring us into a right relationship with our father God, if we believe.
For us, for you, for me.
He did it for love.
Lord, give me the supernatural strength to show mercy, extend grace, find forgiveness, and be loving.
To be your hands and feet in a suffering and dying world.
To do it for us, for you, for me.
As he did it for love, may I also do it for love?
“And now these three remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13