Lessons Not Just for Easter

I’ve been reading Jesus: 90 days with the One and Only since Aug 2010. I think the 90 days kind of stretched out to 300 days so far, and I just finished Day 73. I could say I’m taking my time absorbing all the lessons I’ve learned from it, but I’d be lying. I’ve not been consistent AT ALL, but still God waited patiently, and also prepared me for what He was going to lead me through beforehand. It just made my sporadic pace look purposeful. Purposeful on God’s end, not so much on mine...

This last lesson, I’ve read before over and over again, especially on Easter, yet He made it more personal through this book so I'll understand just how much He loved me, and understand how purposeful His death was to Him and for me. I just want to share a part of my journal about what I saw and wrote:

Lord, how did I not see this? I’ve read it many times and celebrated this on Easter that you died during Passover, when the Jews celebrate and remember their Salvation from Egypt. The Hebrews took a lamb, killed it, took some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and above the door to protect them from God as He came by killing all the firstborn. (Ex12:3,6-7,12,13) You were OUR lamb to save us from Eternal Death. Our Lamb died, and like the people that wiped blood on their doorpost to protect themselves from Death that breezed through Egypt, You washed us with Your blood to redeem us and protect us from eternal Death.

After going through this book (though slowly), I’ve seen You more personally, and You’ve shown me how much You know me, and love me enough to teach me, comfort me, and even reprimand me when I need it, and especially at the right moment. Thank you. Now, I have to read of your journey to your death, but seeing how purposeful You were, with your eye on me, saying ”this is for you. I’m dying in your place for you.” Oh, Jesus. I didn’t deserve it then, and I don’t deserve it now, but Your eye is still on me, and I can hear you saying, “I did it for you. I died in your place for you.”

Just imagining someone that loved you so much, and shared so much with you, died in your place of a death YOU deserved. He died for you to live. Can you look at your significant other and say they’d be willing to die that kind of death Jesus did for you, and you won’t feel pain yourself knowing that was supposed to be you? I can’t. And, this is something I need to remember not just during Easter, but every day. I am Alive because of Him.