I am wearing my Easter bonnet, where's yours?

This year, as I think about Easter, I am so thankful. To me, it is so easy to see Christ as our redeemer and love Him so much for His gift to us, and in turn, view God the Father as someone to fear. This year, as I have thought over the Easter story, God touched my heart with something I have never realized before – this plan was not Christ’s plan. Jesus actually begged for a way out as he prayed in the garden that last night. He was willing, he gave his life for us, but this was the Father’s plan. This was His only way to restore fellowship with us and He wanted it so badly that He sent his Son to die for us, in our place, giving us Mercy – a gift that we never deserved. But that’s how much He loves us.

Philips, Craig & Dean recorded this song several years ago that brings me to tears almost everytime I hear it. The first verse is so graphic for me. It’s more about the gift God gave us that day than about the actual Easter story. The first verse goes:

“Once there was a holy place, evidence of God’s embrace,
I could almost see Mercy’s face pressed against the veil,
looking down with longing eyes, Mercy must have realized
once His blood was sacrificed, freedom would prevail.
And as the sky grew dark and the earth began to shake,
with Justice no longer in the way, Mercy came a runnin’
like a prisoner set free,
past all my failures to the point of my need,
when the sin that I carried was all I could see,
when I could not reach Mercy, Mercy came a runnin’ to me!”

I totally get it! I can visualize Mercy standing there waiting for the go-ahead from the Father. I envision the Father watching anxiously, almost on the edge of His seat, knowing that everything would go according to plan, but so anxious for the final moment that He was tapping his fingers on His throne. I imagine that final moment as Jesus cried out “It is finished”, the Father – with just a twitch of His finger – tore through the veil that for so long had separated God from his people and motioned Mercy on His way to reach all of us. The sad thing is that so many of us have rejected Mercy and the Father, despite all the love poured out in that moment in time.

This Easter weekend, I hope that you can honestly say that you have not turned Him away, but have welcomed Him into your heart to make Himself at home.

God Bless and Happy Easter!