When Jesus Took the Nails for Us

Happy Easter, everyone!

Today I'd like to share a few spiritual thoughts.

Easter . . . what is Easter? Well, Easter for most people in America is a go-hunt-for-eggs, be-terrified-by-the-Easter-bunny *snort*, get-sick-on-candy, and dye-your-hands-different-colors holiday.

OK......so, yeah, those are fun things, except I would not want to be terrified by a monstrous, googlie-eyed bunny *gnaws finger nails*

OK......so, Easter is a holiday. A holiday about what? I told you....or did I?

A long, long, long, long - wait..........

At the beginning of time haha, didn't see that coming, did ya? God created a man. His name was Adam. Adam named all the animals (how did he think up the name lion or horse?), but the animals were no companion for him. So, God created a woman. Her name was Eve.

I wonder what Adam and Eve looked like. Were they really tall? I wonder if they were radiantly beautiful. After all, they were the first creations and they were clothed in light. They got to walk with God. When Moses was in God's presence, his face glowed. Did Adam and Eve's face always glow?

Anyway, Adam and Eve sinned, disobeying God because of Satan. So, sin entered the world, like an evil germ entering your body and getting you sick. Earth was doomed to be sick by that germ for eternity.

So, God decided to send His Son. His one and only Son. What a tremendous sacrifice! God knew His Son would eventually die. Did His heart break? Abraham went through this exact thing with Isaac. He felt awful. Worse than awful. Oh! What did God feel like when His beloved children He'd created disobeyed Him and brought that deadly sickness into His world?

God made this huge sacrifice to save His creations from doom.

So, Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born months later, coming into the world as a timid, tiny baby who could do nothing but eat, cry, pee, and poop. Who knew this baby would become the Savior of the world! Eventually He could laugh and play. I wonder what kind of kid Jesus was. Surely every friend of His wanted to spend time with Him. He was the best behaved child ever. What a precious, special child!

I know what you're thinking. "Hey, this is the Christmas story! I thought you were talking about Easter....."

Haha, yes, I know, I know. I'm getting there *wink*

Soon Jesus grew up. At twelve, He was more mature and knew more about the scriptures than adult men who'd been trained for such things.

Then Jesus became a man (or adult...). And with that, miracles came, too. But, also the heavy burden of knowing He would die someday; to save eternity.

He told His followers. Peter was so mad! But then, the day came. Jesus was horribly hurt. Soldiers forced thorns onto His head. It makes me so sick to my stomach.

Jesus died on a tree that night. A horrid, awful tree.

But.....go HERE (beware, this video has ads (you can skip them), but the song is beautiful)

Earlier, Jesus had told His followers He would tear down the temple and build it in three days. No one could understand what He meant, but when He spoke of the temple, He spoke of Himself.

When the soldiers pierced His side to make sure He was dead, blood and water poured out.

Such a tragic story! Everyone who loved Jesus felt so hopeless. Here was the Man they'd thought would save them from Romans, Who would rise up as King.....dead!

But this wasn't Jesus' plan.

On a beautiful Sunday morning, two burly Roman soldiers stood guard at a tomb. The tomb's door was a huge, round rock with the seal of the Roman empire on it. Suddenly, one of the soldiers stiffened.

"What is it?" asked the other. "What do you see?" He readied his spear, scanning the dark forest in front of him. Everything was quiet, except for a few birds' chirping and the rustle of leaves as a soft breeze swept through branches.

"Oh, just some glowing," the first soldier replied. He shrugged it off. "Just the sun. Nothing else."

In a flash, a huge, glowing angel appeared before them. The first Roman gave a choked cry and fell to the ground. The second watched in horror as his friend seemed dead. Suddenly, he fell, too.

Meanwhile, inside the tomb, Jesus' dead body began to breathe.

The angel swept across the grass, picked the rock up, threw it aside, and sat on it. Jesus stepped out, fully dressed, and, well, I don't know what happened next, other than this:

A woman topped the hillside. Her drawn face held anguishing grief. She dragged her feet a little, head drooped, shoulders stooped. Hearing a slight rustle, she glanced up. Her eyebrows furrowed when she spotted the open tomb. Then reality hit. She gave a small scream, and jolted upright. Her eyes brimmed with tears at the sight of the open tomb. She threw the spices and herbs in her hands onto the ground, and dashed forward. Breathing hard, Mary peered into the dark tomb.

Empty.

Mary sunk to the ground, sobbing. Oh, Lord, why? Tears coursed down her red cheeks. Sobs shook her shoulders.

A strong, loud voice spurred her to her feet. She spun around to see a glowing figure sitting on a rock.

"What saddens you so?" he asked.

"Oh, kind sir, a Man was buried here three days ago and" - she hiccuped - "someone stole His body!" She burst into tears and fell to her knees.

The angel (Mary didn't know this) laughed. "Woman, don't you know? Jesus is alive! He rose from the grave." Without warning, the figure vanished. Mary gasped. What?

Suddenly, a hand - soft and comforting, yet strong - fell on her shoulder. She sprang to her feet and wildly whirled, terrified. Surely any Roman who saw her would slay her then and there!

Instead, the kind, glowing face of Jesus shined down on her. She gasped, then cried out in joy. "Oh, Teacher! You - You . . . You're alive!" She leaped forward to touch Him, but He held up His hand.

"Daughter, do not touch Me, for I have not gone to My Father in Heaven."

Mary stopped. "Y-yes?"

Jesus smiled. "Go tell everyone."

"Yes!" Mary broke into a run. Her cotton skirts slapped around her ankles. The wind snatched the scarf covering her dark hair and yanked it away. Her hair flew out behind her. She didn't care.

"Jesus is alive!" she cried. "Jesus is alive!" She dashed into a small hut, where the disciples had gathering. Everyone's faces were tight and stained with tears.

"The Teacher," she gasped. "He is, alive!"

Peter jumped up. His eyes flashed. "You are crazy!"

"No, no!" she gasped. "I am not. He appeared to me. I was crying. His tomb - open!" She leaned against the wall, then waved her hands at Simon. "You've got to trust me. He told me to tell you."

"Liar," snapped another woman. Her face darkened. "Here we are, mourning the loss of the most wonderful Man in the city - the Messiah - and you are romping around, and then you say you saw Him?"

Mary narrowed her eyes. "Believe what you like. I saw Him. With my very own eyes."

Suddenly, a bright light seared the room. Peter cowered against the wall, blinded. "Aaaauu!"

Thomas fell backwards. "Teacher?"

Jesus stood in the middle of the room. Joy and disbelief filled each follower, including terror. 

Jesus smiled. "Come. Touch my hands, my side. I am alive." 

A few fell at His feet. Jesus was alive! Alive! He was alive! 

Thus ends the Easter story, one of the greatest stories in the world. Why? Because we now have everlasting hope. The sickness in Earth is still here, but not to doom everyone. If you believe in Jesus and ask Him into your heart, if you trust in Him with all your heart and life, you are saved - for eternity. 

Because Jesus took the nails for us. He died in place of us. That's why I celebrate Easter, not because of bunnies, eggs, or candy. I celebrate Easter because Jesus saved His children, forever. 

Now a few Easter photos...... :D 

Soooo, Nikki called this her shaving-cream poop (eep!) 

A half inch or more of shaving cream, food dye, and hard-boiled eggs.....

.........becomes this <3 

Happy Easter!

P.S.
Directions to these eggs:
Spray as much shaving cream as you like into a dish, then add the colors you want to the shaving cream. Take a knife and run it through the cream to make pretty patterns. Then roll or place the eggs into the goop and cover them. Leave for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, uncover the eggs and wipe them clean with a paper towel or cloth. DO NOT wash under water!

~Izzy