Easter is hard in our house for multiple reasons. I have an adult son with mental retardation who struggles with seeing anything depicting Christ on the cross. It’s hard for him to grasp. For that fact, it’s hard for me. It is for most of us, or at least it should be.
The mere thought of what Jesus suffered tears me to shreds. It breaks my heart and then knowing that Christ chose this in my stead. My heart grieves that my sin, our sin, is that grim and gritty.
Isaiah prophesied His death and its depth years before Christ came as a baby. He laid it out piece by piece. The Son of Man would be oppressed and afflicted, led like a lamb to the slaughter, never opening His mouth but humbly submitting. The Messiah would be judged and protested. Rejected by men, suffering, despised, and considered of low esteem. And if that were not enough, He would bear our transgressions and be crushed for our iniquities. He. Would. Brutely. Die.
Who can get their head around that? Who could understand the depth of love involved? That the Father would offer His Son as an atonement for us, but that Christ willingly walked the path of man’s cruelty. He died for us—me and you.
When I say those words, “He died for us,” there is silence—dead silence. I imagine that the moment Jesus died, silence fell over the world. For a moment in time, the world had to take it in. There must have been a global gasp. For an instant, there was no choice but to believe.
I understand the joy of Easter fun for children, but for me, it’s different. I feel the loss. I cry for a sacrifice that shouldn’t have been required but was necessary—and given freely and fully in love so redemption could follow.
When I read the words, He is not here; he has risen, just as he said (Matthew 28:6 NIV), I feel the joy of not just Christ but of a Savior. The burden is lifted. The sadness is gone. His arms are open, and death is not just overcome but defeated forever.
Mourn your sinful nature and then look upward. Rejoice at the gift of life given to you, for Christ has risen. He lives. And He will come again. Hallelujah and amen.
Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.