Easter Weekend

I decided to read the Good Friday to Easter story in all the gospels this morning. I grabbed my Oils of Ancient Scripture collection because I like smelling the oils as they are mentioned in the Bible. It really helps the stories to come alive and makes me feel like I am almost there right next to Jesus because I am smelling what He was smelling.

Right before He dies on the cross, He asks for water. The soldiers offer Him a rag soaked with vinegar and He refuses it. This has always stuck out to me so awhile ago, I did a little research about what was actually on the rag and why Jesus would refuse any liquid at all when His mouth was so dry that He could barely speak.

What I discovered was one of those things that stops your heart from beating for a moment. I discovered that the Greek word used here that we have translated to vinegar mostly likely meant the oil of spikenard. During Biblical times, spikenard was commonly used to help manage pain. So the fact that Jesus refused it makes that action one of the most profound things He did while on the cross.

He refused any help with the pain He was experiencing because He knew that He had to feel every joint break, every muscle tear, every piece of skin shred, every disease and infection that overtook Him, every depressing and dark emotion, all the HEAVY spiritual weight of taking on all our sin ... He knew He had to feel it all FULLY so that you would never have to feel it at all. He refused something that would numb and dull what He was experiencing so that the great exchange could finally take place for a dying, sick, poor and fallen world.

Who does something that selfless for someone they love?! Not many of us. Who does something that selfless for their enemies and those who reject them?! None of us. It's truly the greatest Love story of all time and when He says that He wants you to have an abundant life here on this earth, He means it. Because He doesn't want anything that He did for you to be in vain.

So, this weekend as you reflect on the Easter story, resist the urge to pick up any guilt, settle for any pain or allow anything to convince you that you are not fully loved. He suffered and died fully IN YOUR PLACE so that you can have what only He deserves to have. IT IS FINISHED. When God sees you, He sees you IN CHRIST. No longer does He see your sin. You. Are. Righteous. All because of Jesus. Such LOVE. Such scandalous GRACE. It would take more than a lifetime to fully understand so stop trying to and just freely receive it. <3 God tells us that as Jesus is NOW so are we in this world NOW. It makes absolutely zero sense. It's too good to be true. But... that's the Gospel and that's our story. I pray you just fall into that truth fully this weekend.

If you haven't yet believed this for yourself, today is your day. It is the LOVE and KINDNESS of God that bring us all to repentance. It isn't what any of us have or have not done... it is this divine Easter story that has made all the difference because it is all about what Jesus has done FOR YOU. Eternal life and abundant life is a gift that you can choose to receive. I pray that you stop fighting with the lies that are holding you back from the amazing gifts that He died to give you. You. Are. DEEPLY. Loved. Whether you choose to accept it or not. But... accepting it will change your life for the better now and forever. God isn't trying to take from you. He simply wants to give you everything that Jesus deserves. <3 It is such a good life and He wants it for you because you, too, are His precious child.