I recently made a stop at a local grocery store to pick up a few items we were out of and I couldn’t help but notice all the Easter candy on display. As I continued on my quest to gather what I needed, I was thinking about the many people who don’t understand the real story of Holy Week. Often, I met people who don’t have even a basic knowledge of the bible. Candy, egg hunts and the like are certainly fun for the children but it is unfortunate that for the most part, this Holy season is little noticed or regarded by people in general.
The five plus decades I have lived have given me plenty of time to make some important observations. It would be my observation that life is more meaningful when a person has faith. What I mean by faith is: someone who is in relationship with their creator, a person who believes in God. I have encountered many who do and many who do not believe. I especially love meeting doubting atheists. It is always wonderful to help these good people lose their faith in the nonexistence of God.
It is rather obvious that the majority of people in America today are not totally convinced that God is real and the scriptures are true. Take Sidney for instance, 21,000 plus residents, but just a fraction of that number attends houses of worship regularly. The lack of consistent church attendance explains the spiritual malnutrition of people’s souls. If we fed our natural bodies as infrequently as some people receive nutrition for their inner person, we would starve to death.
With that said, my purpose today is not to judge or criticize anyone personally. My approach would be to offer help. During the next several weeks the gospel of Christ will be shared from dozens of pulpits in our area churches. You owe it to yourself to attend the house of God and give the message an honest chance. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to our world to redeem us all. The Cross of Christ was an instrument of execution and death, yet he faced it because of us. We call the day He suffered in our place Good Friday, a Good Friday for us indeed! The event that sets the Christian faith apart from all other world religions is the empty tomb. Jesus died but He didn’t stay dead. Three days after His death He was resurrected. That first Easter morning was marked by an empty grave! He was witnessed alive after the resurrection by over five hundred people including His disciples in the days that followed.
You may be going through life wondering why you feel like something is missing. I too had a void in my life that only Jesus Christ was able to fill. Why not look to Christ this Easter and experience the peace and purpose you will discover in Him. As a person your life is important. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting the part of you that can be redeemed for all eternity. Friend, do not neglect to address the condition of your soul. After all, we own nothing that is more important in the end than our souls. May you be blessed during this season of contemplation and celebration as we remember again why He came. Oh and by the way, those stains on the cross… that was the Lord’s blood. What more could He do to prove His love for us!
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:6-8
