So many things go through my mind about Easter.  But I wonder if everyone that reads my devotions knows the full story.  From the beginning of the Bible all the way to Jesus’s death and resurrection.  The “why” behind why Jesus had to come to earth as a human, die and rise again.  So here are the cliff notes:

• Man sinned and was put out of the garden – removed from the presence of God. 
• Man became so wicked that God destroyed the earth – except for one family and one set of each animal.  We know this as Noah’s ark.
• After much time, God chose one family to be his chosen people – his sons and daughters – the Israelite’s.
• To keep his chosen people mindful of God, He gave them rules to follow.  Animal sacrifices and grain offerings were required for atonement when they sinned, but they had to keep doing the sacrifices because they kept sinning.
• Over time, His chosen people would forget about God and fall into wicked ways. Bad things would begin to happen because of their sin and then they would call out to God.  God would always take them back.  Grace, such amazing grace God has.
• Eventually God sent his son, Jesus, to earth as a human so that he could teach His chose people, free them from their sin, and lead them to everlasting life through God.
• His chosen people rejected Jesus.  They did not believe he was God’s son.  They were scared of his teachings because it was different from the law that they had been following and so they conspired to have him killed.
• They rushed him through an unlawful trial overnight and demanded the Romans to execute him, to crucify him on a cross.  After He died, he was quickly buried in a tomb, without all the traditional customs because it was the sabbath day and they could not do any work after sundown. This day is called Good Friday.
• On Sunday, after the sabbath was over, a few of Jesus’s followers went back to the tomb to perform the traditional customs on Jesus’s body but Jesus was not there. Only an angel that told him Jesus was no longer dead.  This is called Easter.
• Jesus became the FINAL sacrifice that was needed to give us forgiveness of our sins and everlasting life.

Because Jesus lives, I am free to have a relationship with God.  Because of God’s grace, I am set free of my sin.  Because the Holy Spirit resides in my heart, I am encouraged to tell others what God has done. 

Because He Lives!

Dear Lord, thank you for dying on the cross for me.  Thank you for rising again.  Thank you for saving me from my sins. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to guide me through this life and to help me lead others to your amazing grace.  Amen.