Instead

Easter is always a wonderful time of reflection. This year I seem to be focusing on the word "instead". The concepts that Easter time brings are very hard for an almost-three year old to understand so we've been trying to make it simple for Bug as she asks questions about why Jesus had to die. Our best explanation seems to be "instead". Jesus had to die "instead" of us. Yes, all of our bodies will die eventually but because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, if we accept His gift of love, we get to go to Heaven.

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I've been reading a book series and I just finished it last night. It has nothing to do with Easter time but I was struck by the final paragraph and how perfectly it fit my thoughts this week.

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God no longer sees me as a sinner. Because of His Son's blood sacrifice, He looks at me...and sees Jesus there instead. - Beverly Lewis

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Those few simple sentences pierced my heart. I read through them several times and just let it sink in. There was that word I'd been using to explain it all to Bug.

Instead.

Instead of you.

Instead of me.

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Good Friday.

Today is the day, all those many year ago, that Jesus died.

Died for me.

Died for you.

How very much He loves us to have allowed Himself to be tortured and killed by some of the very ones He was saving. He offered Himself up as a sacrifice, taking OUR sins upon Himself, so that He took the ultimate punishment INSTEAD of us.

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But as we heard in our Good Friday service tonight, "It's Friday night, but Sunday's comin'!" We can remember this terrible night with JOY and HOPE and thankfulness for the LOVE of God, because we know the end of the story. Jesus didn't stay dead. He rose again, on the third day. He is alive today. Alive in Heaven and alive in my heart, and the hearts of all those who love Him and have accepted His free gift of love. And all I can say is I'm thankful. Thankful that He loved me enough to die for me.

Thankful.

Pure and simple.

Thankful for the love of Christ.