He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep, before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:3-9
There is something sweet and gentle about the way children see and experience Easter—new clothes, family traditions, sweet surprises. It is joyful, delightful, and innocent.
And yet, as the day comes to an end, I find myself quietly reflecting on the deeper meaning of this day. In the midst of family gatherings, meals, and photographs, it is easy to move forward without taking the time to reflect.
A part of me understands the innocence of seeing the world as children do as a bright and carefree place. But when I stop and truly consider what Jesus endured, the world does not appear as carefree, and a shadow of something deeper appears. I think about the physical suffering, the emotional and mental rejection, and the weight Jesus carried for me. The heaviness in this thought also gives a relief and gratitude in understanding what this pain and sacrifice offered.
Sitting in the weight of my thoughts, I think about how to maneuver, remember, and not forget the significance of today. I do not want this day to fade into a distant memory, into the rhythm of another day, or until next year.
Remembering isn’t about guilt or internal punishment. It is a gentle reminder to sit in quiet awareness of what the sacrifice means on my behalf: a way for forgiveness, for reconciliation with God, for freedom from sin, for a love deeper and more infinite than I could ever imagine, and for victory over death.
As heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken. The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King
Has rendered you defeated
(Forever, Lyrics by Kari Jobe)
I have always thought that this song captures the reason for our joy. It points to hope. It is the kind of enduring hope that lasts from now into eternity. It is a hope that offers love and reconciliation. This personal and deeply moving extended invitation into this relationship is comforting. Imagine the unspeakable joy of knowing forgiveness, knowing love, and knowing hope! How could I not have a desire to cling to this peace?
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus…He is not here; he has risen!…‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” (Luke 24:1-3, 6-7)
With this, everything changed.
In this time of reflection, there is no better reason to smile because God is faithful and loves me with an infinite capacity.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16).
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