Ridgell's Originals

Easter is almost here.  Again, much of the world will be aware of our conviction that Jesus rose from the dead.  Resurrection Sunday.  Churches will talk about the Resurrection, many people will make that their one Sunday to go to church.  Flowers and Lent and processionals.

The two most celebrated days on the Christian calendar:  Christmas and Easter.  

So I have been thinking quite a bit about what happened between Christmas and Easter.  Jesus was born and he was raised.

Two things.  Jesus lived and Jesus died.

He grew up after Christmas.  He is the model for how we believers want to live our lives.  I see how he treated people.  Gracious and open to those outside the Kingdom.  Inviting them into life with him.  Living in community with his followers.  Hard on the religious people who were not following him.  

I want to be like Jesus.  I want to help those in our world that are hungry, or lonely, or sick.  Those that are in pain.  Those that feel pain and guilt and shame.  Jesus went around healing people and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom.

That is what I want to do.  I don't want church programs or budgets to make it easy for me.  I want to be in my world making a difference with the people God puts in my orbit.  

And Jesus grew up to die.  Died to be resurrected.  

Our world needs to know the resurrection message.  But resurrection matters because he died.  

Jesus came to die for our sins so we could live forever with the holy and perfect God.

I have no right to be in heaven forever.  I am not good enough. Neither are you.  We have done things we know we should not have done.  We have all failed to do things we know we should have done.  

But God loves us so much he sent Jesus to pay for our sins.  He died so we could be faultless before the throne of God.  Worthy to live with God forever.  Not because of what we have done, but because of what He has done for us.

So I celebrate the birth of Jesus.  The day of good news.  

And I celebrate the resurrection.  Because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will raise me.

But I celebrate the life of Jesus.  He didn't just tell me how live.  He showed me. 

And I celebrate his death.  What great and amazing love that the Son of God would die for me. 

So when you really think about life as a Christian... it really is a celebrate of life.  Every day.  

Forever.