“Easter, you’ve changed…”

Change is a part of life.

In fact, I’ve heard it said that change is the only “constant” in life.

Over the years, we change.

Our tastes change.  Our priorities change.  Our perspectives change.  Our relationships change.

As we approach Easter Sunday, I’m waking up to the reality that Easter has changed.

I look at Easter differently.  I celebrate it in different ways.  I appreciate it for new and unexpected reasons.

For example… when we were kids, Easter was a lot about the candy.  Back then, we just took for granted that Easter was about Jesus, the Easter bunny, and some terrific treats.  One of these treats, the beloved “marshmallow peep” somehow became a favorite.

As typical seasonal fare, our Easter traditions can be linked with jelly beans, Reese’s peanut butter eggs, Cadbury eggs, marshmallow Peeps, and a zillion other candies.

This year, I haven’t touched a peep.  I haven’t eaten a jelly bean.  I haven’t seen a Reese’s egg.

I’m okay with that.  I don’t miss them.

Physically, I am trying to count calories and not kill my teeth.  So there’s a reason.  And that’s reason enough.

Easter hasn’t changed, but my tastes have.  Through the years, I hope Easter – and how I think about Easter – continues to change.

Over the years, maybe I’ll become more grateful for God and less self-centered.

Maybe I’ll become more grateful, generous, and self-controlled when it comes to things like eating and treating.

Maybe I’ll be more humble and honest about how much I really do need God’s help.

Every year, I hope to appreciate Easter a little more, from a maturing perspective… grateful… humbled… willing to change even more – however God wants me to change.

Ironically, isn’t that what Easter is all about – change?  From death to life?  From sinful to forgiven?  From old to new?  From slave to free?  From enemy to family?

Yes, Easter is all about life change… and I hope it never stops changing me!

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Today is the day we remember and practice as “Good Friday” – in honor of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Bible treats this as a “once and for all” type of event, where the innocent son of God received unspeakable punishment for the sins of the world.

All human beings have sinned, falling short of God’s glory and character (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  We deserve physical death and spiritual death – both of which are characterized by suffering and separation from God.

Though Jesus was without sin, we find that He chose to take these realities for himself – to suffer and be separated from God. He chose to suffer in my place (and yours) to pay the penalty… to pay the ransom… to satisfy the demands of God’s holiness… to demonstrate a tremendous amount of love – on our behalf.

In his own words, the emotion and pain gushes out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46).

Forsaken.  Rejected.  Broken.  Punished.  Mocked.  Beaten.  Pierced.  Cursed.  Insulted.

Any one of these feelings can lead us to a life of depression or addiction or despair.

Somehow, God “so loved the world” that He wanted to give you a chance.  Somehow, Jesus believed that his temporary suicide mission could offer you a permanent kind of joy.   Somehow, my sin and your sin were dealt with on an old rugged cross, and God provides the opportunity to be forgiven.

Because of the Cross, you can have all your sins (past, present, and future) forgiven.  You can start over with a new heart, a new standing before God, a new hope of heaven, and a new Spirit to lead and guide you through.

Because of the Cross, death is no longer a permanent state.  You don’t have to fear it.  You don’t have to dread it.  You might even learn to grieve a bit differently, when you know that your friends and family have assurance of faith and forgiveness through Christ – and that you’ll see them one day in Heaven.

Because of the Cross, you can say goodbye to performance and trying to earn your way to God’s place or God’s favor.  The Cross is an admission that we will never measure up, never atone for our own sins, and that God is taking it upon Himself to repair the relationship.

One of my favorite verses of all-time is 1 Peter 3:18 – “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit…”

There it is.

Christ died for sins.  A perfect sacrifice, innocent and undeserving – but willing and chosen.

The righteous for the unrighteous.  Perfect Jesus for sinful Gary and sinful you.

To bring you to God.  You have been bought back.  Reconciled.  Reconnected.  Renewed.  It’s all good…

For those who believe.

If you have decided to believe, to follow, to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and embrace the Cross as God’s payment for your sins, then this is a very, very Good Friday.

This is why Jesus endured the pain.  This is why God had forsaken Him, for a moment in time… that whosoever believes in Him would never perish, but would have eternal life.