Have you ever wondered where we got the concept of Easter in America? I'm sure if I spent enough time fishing around in the great world wide web, I could find the answer to almost all my questions. I went to three Easter services this weekend. They were all as different as the people gathered there. It all got me to thinking. Yes, of course my brain tried to once again wrap itself around the great mystries of God. But; I kept coming bact to is my first Easter. No not the one where I was a brand new baby, but the one where I first learned what this Easter stuff was really about. 
I was eighteen years old. Easter was so new and awe inspiring. The deception had been rolled away just as a stone over a grave. Do you remember when you first knew what Jesus had done?
Do you remember the first time you heard that increadible story? God came down from heaven and became man. He was born, grew up and delt with very human issues. All human, all God. He even faced the temptation of cheeting. It's subtle, but you can see it in the bible if you really look. See the Temptation in the wilderness, it was a temptation to take the easy way out. He could have turned the rocks into bread, He could have staved His hunger and the hunger of the world! But, to what avail? A generation would know that He is God. They would never starve, but; there would be no cross. He would die, because He was man and the rules say that it is apointed once for man to die. He would die without the cross. In cheating he would gain the world, but loose humanity. He could have cheeted and jumped from the pinacle of the temple. He would have floated to the earth and the religious leaders would know He was the Messiah. Once again, He would gain the world for a generation, but at what cost. No cross, no redemption for mankind. Finally, He could bow down and worship Satan. Satan would give Him the world without a cross. But, He would be limited to doing only what Satan allowed. Jesus would have to serve Satan and there would be no cross. Jesus would die and the hope of humanity with Him.
I was eighteen years old. Easter was so new and awe inspiring. The deception had been rolled away just as a stone over a grave. Do you remember when you first knew what Jesus had done?
Do you remember the first time you heard that increadible story? God came down from heaven and became man. He was born, grew up and delt with very human issues. All human, all God. He even faced the temptation of cheeting. It's subtle, but you can see it in the bible if you really look. See the Temptation in the wilderness, it was a temptation to take the easy way out. He could have turned the rocks into bread, He could have staved His hunger and the hunger of the world! But, to what avail? A generation would know that He is God. They would never starve, but; there would be no cross. He would die, because He was man and the rules say that it is apointed once for man to die. He would die without the cross. In cheating he would gain the world, but loose humanity. He could have cheeted and jumped from the pinacle of the temple. He would have floated to the earth and the religious leaders would know He was the Messiah. Once again, He would gain the world for a generation, but at what cost. No cross, no redemption for mankind. Finally, He could bow down and worship Satan. Satan would give Him the world without a cross. But, He would be limited to doing only what Satan allowed. Jesus would have to serve Satan and there would be no cross. Jesus would die and the hope of humanity with Him.
But He didn't cheat. He gave Himself for us all. A week of passion, an act so increadable. He embraced the cross. He alowed Himself to be bound and beaten. He could have resisted. He loved all the way to the end. He layed aside anger and hatred. He took injustice upon Himself. He took our guilt, our sin, our sickness and disease. The wonder and glory of it all.
He laid it down. He experienced life and death, and then lead the way for humanity to experience resurection.
The greatest miracle of Easter is not egg laying bunnies, but God becoming Man and giving Himself for us all. Life, death, and resurection.
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