Alive

This year I have learned a lot about Passover from friends who are Jewish. Last Friday, our bible study group had a Sedor dinner. It was the first time I had ever shared in the experience. Without the Passover dinner, our Christian view of Easter is incomplete. Without our view of the New Testament, the Jewish holiday is incomplete.

There are many who say that the Old Testament was for then, we now live by the New Covenant. However, the God of the Old Testament has not changed from then to now. Much of Scripture in the Old Testament prophesies what would be to come in the future. The message is simple from the beginning of time until now. If you do not study and read the Old Testament you have an incomplete picture of the history leading up to why Jesus would have to come to earth. Man sinned, he could no longer have a relationship with God. Throughout the Old Testament, man had a High priest to offer up sacrifices for forgiveness of their sins. Man could not go directly to God, because man was unclean. The laws and rituals became so long and cumbersome that God had a plan for man to be restored to Him. The bottom line is that God loved His creation so much, He didn't like the distance, He wants a relationship with us.

In order for the relationship to be restored, He sent His Only Son as a "Perfect sacrifice" on ALL of our behalf because there is no one who is without sin. So Christ took on the form of a human baby, lived and ministered here on earth. On Friday, He was mocked and beaten and hung on a cross. The moment that he died, there was a huge curtain in the temple that was ripped in two and no longer was man separated from God. They took His body and laid Him in a tomb. For three days his body laid there. On Sunday, when Mary and His disciples went to visit the tomb He was missing. He had rose from the dead.

Easter is more than Easter Egg hunts, bunny rabbits, and Easter Baskets. Everyone makes Christianity so complicated. God doesn't. The Good News is simple: Man Sinned, Christ Died for us, He was buried. After 3 days He rose from the dead. He lives today! We have a choice, if we want a relationship with God who is living, ask him for forgiveness and accept His love for you. This is the true meaning of Easter!