Happy Resurrection Day!!!

Colossians 1:13-18  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.  For by Him all tings were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And he is the head of the body, the church,k who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 

Revelation 1:18 Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.  Amen.  And I have the keys of death and Hades.

     Oh my, how can anyone not be excited about celebrating ‘Easter’! While that is the term used to identify the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus it is a word actually derived from a false god of fertility named Ishtar, however, what we call today is not nearly as important as what it is we are celebrating. There are an infinite amount of things I could write about on a day like today but what I have really been pondering lately is the fact that Jesus suffered the judgment that should have been ours.

Isaiah 53:5-6 Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.  but He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.   

Have you ever really contemplated what Jesus experienced in laying down His life for us, going beyond the cross to the period of time between Him giving up His spirit and Him being raised from the dead? Jesus himself said he would be three days and nights in the heart of the earth which I personally believe from scripture was the location of hell at that time. It isn't clear from the scripture how long after giving up His spirit He actually experienced what an unbeliever would who dies without God. He had seen from before the foundation of the world what awaited him once he was physically dead, being delivered to him who had the power of death, that is the devil. We don’t realize that in hell their is no manifestation of God's goodness or His love to any degree, for an unbeliever that even while on earth they have the benefit of enjoying since the earth was created for man to live on. I realized this was the war Jesus had to win over His flesh in the garden of Gethsemane, not just fear of physical death on the cross, but the experience of being separated from and rejected by God the Father. He willingly chose to be the sacrifice and suffer the judgment of God on our behalf. God made him who knew not sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God through him.  He spoiled principalities and powers, triumphing over them by the cross. He is the firstborn among many brethren which is all of those who choose to receive Him as our Savior and Lord.  Now that ought to make you smile:)

Scripture Ref: Colossians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:29;