Easter

We serve a risen Savior! Hallelujah!Here is an excerpt from a Sunday School lesson I taught some time ago:

The 6 hours Jesus spent on the cross may have appeared somewhat uneventful to those who stood around but much was happening in the spiritual realm. Satan seemed to have the upper hand, our Lord was dying. When Jesus hung on that cross he cried, "Father forgive them!" He may have been asking God to forgive the two robbers who hung on either side of him, although their crimes would have paled in comparison to what others had just done to Him. Those words could have been uttered for the four Roman soldiers who had nailed Him to the cross and were now dividing His garments or maybe He was mentally going through the pages of time that had not yet been written and asking His Father to forgive me and you. Perhaps some among the 12 legions of angels may have begun begging the Father to let them go and destroy those who trampled their Lord. Whatever the case, consider things from the Father's prospective, He sent His only Son to die, He had to say no when His Son asked while shedding blood, to let the cup pass if there was another way. He watched the cruel beatings and scourging. Now perhaps the angels were crying out to Him to let them unleash their fury on the Jews and Romans, but then from the cross, Jesus the Prince Of Peace asks His Father to forgive them, for they know not what they do. At that, maybe the angels fell on their knee's and began to weep. The lips of the Father quavered and He whispered, "My Son!" but now the Father had to pour out the sins of billions of sinners onto that very Son turning Him into sin itself. Hear Jesus cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" As the Holy Spirit is withdrawn and the death penalty carried out. This is the ground zero of the Bible, where the justice of God - the need for sin to be punished - collided with the mercy of God - His desire to save us from the punishment of eternal separation from him. The only one who could bridge the gap between Gods need for justice and His desire for mercy was His only Son! He willingly gave His Son and His Son willingly gave his life. What an amazing gift!

We attended Sunrise Services this morning. We sat outside and listened to the Easter Story while the sun rose steadily into the sky. There is something about singing, "Up from the grave He arose!" while sitting outside in the cold air that makes God seem very near. Our children will long remember this service. I wasn't sure we would be able to get everyone out the door in time for the 6:30 service but things went surprisingly well and we were on time.

Dean made ham steaks on the outdoor grill. They were delicious! Deans parents came over to help us enjoy them. Afterward the children toasted marshmallows.

Joseph gave Mr. Potato Head a hair cut.

Braden made this goat out of play doh.