As we enter Passion Week it is important to remind ourselves what Easter is all about. Easter is not about chocolate eggs or bunnies. It’s about something very serious – a blood sacrifice. Indeed in our very sanitised world today concepts like a blood sacrifice seems anachronistic or the stuff of the occult.
However, blood sacrifices are not as uncommon as we may think. Almost every other day a special group within the community lay down their lives for the rest of us. Soldiers lay down their lives in order that our freedom is guaranteed.
Every year at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the world over observes Remembrance (Armistice) Day. In the First World War the freedom of many nations were at stake. Millions of soldiers and civilians died in order to redeem and preserve the freedom of humanity. The same calamity was to befall mankind just a generation later with the Second World War. Yet again humanity’s freedom was at stake and sacrifices, blood sacrifices, had to be made to ransom millions.
Soldiers give their lives for our physical freedom.
Sadly, that is not enough to set us totally free. True freedom is that which come from within – freedom from spiritual bondage. For that, a special kind of sacrifice is required. Mankind was not designed to be insecure, sick, jealous, murderous, thieving or inhumane. Sin, all that our conscience tells us is wrong, ensures that we are kept bound in a cycle of pain and sickness. Sin’s enslaving power is great. Indeed, all mankind have been subject to its power. Sin held sway until a special sacrifice was made. Romans 3:23-25
Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our spiritual and eternal freedom. That is actually not the whole truth. By His death and resurrection Jesus also gave us freedom from physical bondages especially sickness.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed
– Isaiah 53:5
Jesus remains the only One who gave His life for all of mankind. There is a reason for that. He was God as man on Earth. Yes God, the creator of the universe, came down as man to redeem the apple of His eye – mankind. John 1:14
Complete Restoration
Finally Jesus’ sacrifice did something really special for all mankind. With the singular act of love He restored our relationship with our Father in heaven. Indeed we are now joint-heirs with Christ – Romans 8:17. This means we can boldly approach our Holy Father in Heaven having been purified by the blood of His Son’s sacrifice.
This Easter let us remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us at Calvary’s cross that yielded for us:
The freedom to live;
The freedom to walk in our destinies;
The freedom to prosperous in everything we set our minds to (according to God’s will);
The freedom from disease and pain!
We are now free to walk in the knowledge that our Father in heaven loves us beyond all measure. He proved it by sacrificing Jesus to ransom and restore us.
If you haven’t as yet accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour and will like to do so then pray this short prayer wherever you are.
Dear Heavenly Father
I confess I do not know you and because I cannot see you, or touch you, it is difficult for me to believe you are there.
Yet I am willing to trust you.
I confess I am a sinner and have done many things I know are wrong.
But I am asking you today to forgive me of all those sins and make me a new person.
Create within me a clean heart and fill me with your love.
I cast all my cares and burdens onto you and I chose to live for you.
I thank you for hearing my prayer and coming into my life.
I thank you for restoring me and making me whole again.
I thank you for the new life you have given me through Jesus Christ your only begotten Son and now my Lord and Saviour.Amen
If you have any questions or want to know more on how you can live this life full of love and freedom then send us an email.
If you already have a personal relationship with Jesus, then help a friend in need of salvation by sharing this message.
God bless you
Socrates
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