The Easter Joy

 

Alleluia!

Even the darkness is not dark to you.

A new dawn has come - the heavenly realm has broken into our world through Jesus. New Creation is here and now. He is risen!

It is a gorgeous, chilly day - bright and sunshiney - beginning at 54 degrees. Lingering in the light is everything when He makes things new. I am so thankful for this refreshing weather. It comes alongside the deep thankfulness for the Easter joy we can store in our hearts every single day. For the God who came down from heaven, suffering a human death for us. Going through the realm of hell ahead of us and rising today - Easter morn!

Jesus took the role of a sort of hidden king when He walked the earth, humble and love-focused rather than storming in on a horse and an army trailing behind him. He was not what anyone expected, and that was kind of the point. What we expect in this world, God shows us a better way (the heavenly kingdom is often an opposite view of what we see in the world). We think in our worldly way that to defeat is to meet with a powerful blow, but that is not what Jesus showed us.

Jesus succumbed to the darkness. He walked right into it, knowing exactly what would happen. That is how He defeated it. The day of Good Friday became the darkest day in all of history. Humans killed a good god. The Good God, in human form. God let it happen. It was in the plan to redeem us, even though it was humans who murdered Jesus. We do not use the idea of murder, but it is indeed what happened. But then, death was conquered as Jesus went through hell opening all the gates ahead of us. The path has already been placed.

And after all that, we still have the choice to believe and follow Christ, or reject all of it. I wonder in my deepest core how anyone could not believe in the God who would die for them, and love them unconditionally. What other idols or gods out there are dying for you?

Easter is hope - joy - life - love.

Easter is every day.