Easter and its message of salvation

It's strange how special occasions make people think of certain things a bit more than usual.

Easter is one of those occasions. It's not just rabbits and chocolate eggs, but the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ever since I became a parent, I could relate a bit better to the sacrificial love of God. Well, not totally, because I'm not God, but a step closer to why God would send Jesus Christ to die for us.

At MOPS on Wednesday, we discussed about how we relate to Jesus dying on the cross for us. I shared this email that I read many years ago. I cannot remember who sent it and or if it is a true story or not.

It goes like this : A father and his teenage son invited the son's best friend to a fishing trip out at sea. While at sea, both boys fell into the sea. Unfortunately, the father could only save one child and without hesitating, threw in the life buoy to his son's friend. He watched his son cry for help and drowned. When the friend's parents heard about it, they were also saddened by the death of the son. The father responded that both he and his sons are Christians and will meet again in heaven one day. But this friend hasn't and his son would want the friend to hear the good news of salvation too.

I could feel the father's pain when he had to save his son's friend. To a certain degree, I could feel God the Father's pain when he sent Jesus Christ to earth. To be born a God-man. To be charged, judged and paraded to the cross and nailed to death. For what? To save us, those willing to be Jesus' friends, from sin.

Jesus died. He died a terrible death on the cross. He died, but he didn't stay dead. He was resurrected. He was alive 3 days later. That is the hope that I can have in the Lord that I will be resurrected when He comes again.

The condition is simple. Those willing to be His friends, to receive Him as an infant and His death and resurrection on the cross will receive the gift of salvation. To be able to stand blameless before God and be with Him in heaven for eternity.