Deuteronomy 30 v 15-20 –“See, I set before you today, life and prosperity, or death and destruction. For I command you today, to Love the Lord, to walk in his ways, and you will live and increase, for the Lord your God will bless you…”
Easter encompasses a synopsis of the whole of the Christian New Covenant. A covenant is a one-sided promise, made by God to us, for us to pick up and accept. We do not have to DO anything to please God enough to receive his covenant, only say, “Yes, thank you”. (Just by the way New Testament, means New Covenant.)
Easter celebrates Jesus death for our sins. He made the sacrifice on our behalf, to bridge the divide between us and God. Once accepted, we plug ourselves into God’s kingdom, and the lights of our lives go on. We no longer live in the darkness of the state of sin.
Easter celebrates Jesus resurrection from the dead, whereby death itself is defeated. We gain eternal life in the spirit. There are loads of tales of people having near death experiences, and encountering Jesus, before they return to life on this earth to complete their stint.
This places Easter as the central event what we celebrate to anchor life under the New Covenant. We have it all. We can have it all. It is our choice. It is not mind over matter, it is faith over matter, and faith over circumstances. There was a vivid illustration of choice and attitude on the television.
You might have seen it on a Gardener’s World program, a lovely lady in Devon, looking after a ¾ acre garden in Devon, who was born with no arms, only short little hands with no thumbs. She planted and weeded with her toes. Yet she was brimming with life and happiness and vitality; a very humbling inspirational story. We can be the same. With God, we can have joy.
God has given us everything of eternal value: Freedom from sin, freedom from guilt, amazing love into eternity, life itself, every breath, and would you believe it, 30 trillion cells which make up our bodies, all working together, and replenishing themselves when they wear out. We are amazing!
Unless we make a choice to have the life God has given us, to live in the Freedom Jesus has bought for us, and to enjoy all that we have, we shut out those blessings.
We will have trials, and tribulations, and periods of crisis. The whole world is under the Covid cloud. We are horrified by Ukraine. Thousands are dying. It creates stresses and pressures.
Yet, in this we have a choice. To live each day, to grab the moments of love and kindness, to celebrate them and to be joyful within. It is too easy to feel somehow guilty that others are suffering. Rather rejoice in that God has done for us, and act to help, or to pray, and have compassion. Jesus died and rose again for the whole of mankind, and he died and rose again to defeat Satan. There is still a battle, but our prayers are powerful, even over huge distances. That is something we can DO. Action, out of Gods strength.
Easter is the celebration of the strength and abundance that God has given us. What is our choice? God has set before us life and prosperity, even within the worst of circumstances, or the opposite. Which do we want? Make a good choice. Trust God to fulfill his covenant. Plug into his abundant goodness. Enjoy Easter.
Jeremy