Last year I posted a blog on Easter, and I decided that each year I would try to post something in order to honor Jesus and the sacrifice He made.
Every time I write something new, I always like to reflect a little on my life and how far I've come. My relationship with Jesus has really come a long ways since last Easter. I'm always in awe and amazement at how at the time, it seems like nothing, but in reality, it's been a large growth. I'm ever grateful to God for always directing my steps even when I'm not completely aware of it at the time.
I had this crazy revelation yesterday while I was in the shower. I had been thinking about Easter and what I was going to write this blog post about, when suddenly I was thinking about this TV show I had just finished watching on Netflix. Yes, I watched 13 Reasons Why, from beginning to end, in a matter of a few days. I had read the book a few years ago, so of course I was excited about the show when it came out. It's a very raw, scarily real story that will rip your heart out over and over again.
A specific scene came to mind, a scene where the main character, Clay, is talking to his counselor, Mr. Porter. They are discussing the death of Hannah Baker when Mr. Porter says, "You cannot love someone back to life." Clay replies, "You can try."
This scene kept replaying in my head, when finally it just made sense. That's exactly what Jesus did. Before Him, we were dead. Dead from our sins and empty within. There was no hope and no way out. But Jesus... His love, grace, mercy... all of that poured out before us. Once we let it soak in, everything changed. His love brought us back to life. Just let that sink in!
We can't be tricked into believing that another person can just heal all our wounds and make us whole. We can't expect them to revive us. Jesus is the only person who can love us back to life. I've had to learn this lesson many times, as I tend to sometimes put too much faith in another person. It never works, you will always end up hurt and disappointed because what you're looking for can only be found in Christ.
After this crazy revelation, I immediately wrote it down and I knew that God was sharing with me an important message for Easter. This message highlights exactly what Jesus was doing when He said, "It is finished."
And the last thing that's been on my heart is what I consider to be important as well: Jesus' death being remembered.
Italian poet Cesare Pavese once wrote: 'Love is truly the great manifesto; the urge to be, to count for something, and, if death must come, to die valiantly, with acclamation--in short, to remain a memory.'
I looked at this quote from a different perspective and this is how I viewed it: Jesus is that love that's being talked about. Jesus embodies the great manifesto. He died valiantly, He died with acclamation. And He indeed has remained a memory for thousands of years. Easter is just a day to really stop and meditate on the love God has for us. I think we tend to take it for granted sometimes. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the pain and suffering Jesus endured in order to set us free. We need to keep this memory alive in us.
The only way for people to know truth is for us to hold truth inside of us. If you're slipping far from God, it's not too late. Just come back. And if you've never given Jesus a chance, why not give it a try? See if it radically changes your life, because it changed mine. If you're dead inside, know that His love can bring you back.
Believe that. Receive that. Come alive.
