Meditating on scripture helps us know Him and the power of His resurrection.
Before He died, Jesus was in agony, so much agony He was sweating drops of blood.
"And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly
His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down
to the ground" Luke 22:44
Isaiah had prophesied He'd die for our sins.
3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
His sacrifice, the final sacrifice, paid the price for our sins. Our Lamb of God, the perfect Passover Lamb came to take away our sins John 1:29
Hebrews 9:12
He entered once for all into the holy places, not by the means
of the blood of goats and calves, but by the means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption
He rose from the dead as He'd prophesied. The angels say that in Mark 16. Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,
who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here!
God freely gave His gift of love for us to receive. 1 Corinthians 15, the "Resurrection Chapter" states
...Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures... and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain...
May we each come to know Him and the power of His resurrection - Philippians 3:10
Have a Blessed, reflective, full of Thanks Giving, Easter!
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers' arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.