Embrace All of Easter

Last year, in our waiting for Ella, the Saturday of Easter resonated with me. What did it feel like for Jesus’ followers? They didn’t understand that a resurrection Sunday was coming. They felt the pain, the darkness, the sorrow, the unknown, the doubts, the pain. They felt it deeply.⁣

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This year, I find myself so thankful for Good Friday and so full of hope because of the resurrection. This isn’t just because Ella is home. I am eternally grateful for the miracles He performed to bring her home. Sometimes we think of the power of the resurrection in terms of our own success or Kingdom success here on earth. But the primary reason for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not the comfort or prosperity or success of those who believe in Him. The primary reason for the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus is to pay for our sins, to make a way for us to be near to a Holy God, to give us eternal hope. ⁣

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The reason I am so thankful for the good news of Good Friday and the incredible hope of the resurrection is that I get to see the gospel on display in my home. Having Ella home allows me to remember the whole truth of the Gospel. She is a living picture of the Gospel. ⁣

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The thrill of Sunday coming should be celebrated. The agonizing wait of Saturday should be remembered. The deep sorrow and suffering of Friday should be embraced. In the sorrow, we find a compassionate, fully understanding, sacrificial and full of love Savior. The same Savior who rose from death on Sunday in full victory offers incredible, undeserved and life changing realities to us because of what he endured on Friday.