I just love wild rabbits! I can see them almost every day from my window when I write. They are such a joy to watch. As sweet as my little friends are, they aren’t what Easter is all about. Let’s look at three truths about Jesus as we prepare for Easter.
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT)
#1 Jesus understands what it’s like to be human. Jesus walked among us, fully God and fully human. He experienced what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty, to lose someone he loved to death, and to have physical and emotional pain. His death was violent, humiliating, and painfully real. He knows firsthand what suffering and trauma feel like. We never have to wonder if he’ll understand the thoughts we bring to him. He does. He will.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” (John 10:17-18 NLT)
#2 Jesus was a willing participant. Jesus willingly and voluntarily allowed himself to be hung on a cross and murdered to pay the debt for our sins. He continuously warned his disciples that his human life was going to end in this kind of death. He knew from the beginning the very path he was choosing to walk, where it would lead him, and why he was doing it. One of the most famous Bible verses in the world is John 3:16. It tells the story of why he was willing to suffer and die for you and for me.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)
“Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7 NLT)
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! (John 20:19-20 NLT)
#3 Jesus is alive! He lives. He didn’t cheat death. He died, and was dead for three days. On the third day, he was brought back to life. He wasn’t a ghost or an angel. Jesus, fully God and fully human, was raised back to life in his human body. And this brings us full circle, back to where I started this post, and why this makes any difference at all for people surviving trauma:
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT)
Approaching this Easter day, let’s remember we can talk to Jesus about all we are facing. We can be bold to come before God and ask for mercy and grace and help when we need it most. We don’t have to wonder if he will understand how hard things have gotten. He already knows. We don’t have to be afraid to reach out to him. It’s why he came in the first place.
If you don’t know Jesus yet, talk to him. He hears you. His transformational love is available to any who believe him and accept him.
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. (John 1:12-13 NLT)
God bless you, friend! And, Happy Easter! Keep the conversation going! Comments are welcome.
The Philippians 4 Project 
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