Well, we have another Easter in the books. Dress shopping. Studying. Egg hunts. Buying flowers. Decorating the church. Chocolate. Three services. Saturday night service. Did we forget anything? It was a busy week.
And now it’s over. We praised Jesus. We preached the Good News. We cried tears of thanksgiving for all He’s done.
We ate an amazing meal with friends – thank you Alisa! The lamb. The ham. The grilled veggies. And Jill – the mousse. My mouth is still watering. And now my jeans are tighter, but it was sooooo worth it. We still have two months before the pool opens. Plenty of time, right?
And I’m sitting here in such awe and wonder, still, that I wanted to write an Easter blog. Again. I know, I just wrote It Is Finished, but my heart is so full, I didn’t think one was enough.
I just can’t stop singing the new song by Bethel that we sang in services this weekend:
Be enthroned upon the praises of a thousand generationsYou are worthy, Lord of all.Unto You, the slain and risen King, we lift our voice with heaven singingWorthy, Lord of all!
And this is the picture I get when I sing it. The picture of the Lamb slain before the world was even formed.
I imagine a conversation in heaven between the Father and the Son.
So they made man in their image. Because they wanted a family. Someone to love. They wanted us.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
(Ephesians 1:5)
It’s what He wanted to do. It gave Him great pleasure. We give Him pleasure.
Say it. “I give Him pleasure.” Selah –
And that reminds me of this verse…of something else that pleased Him.
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.(Isaiah 53:10)
Another translation says it was His good pleasure to crush Him.
It pleased Him, not because He’s an abusive Father who enjoys beating His Son. But because of this:
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.(Isaiah 53:11)
It wasn’t crushing Him that pleased the Father. It was the fruit of it that pleased Him.
We are the fruit. You and me restored to relationship with Him.
Jesus dwelt in eternity. His home was the very definition of glory and splendor. The doors are made of diamonds. The streets are made of the purest gold. The angels do His every bidding. His Father is always with Him.
He knew what we would do. He knew the price He would have to pay. And He loved us so much He formed us anyway. Heaven can’t contain Him, yet He laid it all down and confined Himself to the world He created to rescue us.
He chose the cross. He chose the crushing. He chose the beating. He could have called for legions of angels to rescue Him, and they would have come.
But He chose silence.
He chose us.
My heart is full. Amazing Grace how sweet the sound!
So today, Easter weekend is over but I’m still so grateful for His sacrifice. For His resurrection. So thankful that He chose me.
Let it continue to sink in and wash over you today. You are valuable. You are loved. He chose you.