Easter: Beyond The BunnySample

Crucifixion of Christ 

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus was sentenced by the Romans to be crucified on the cross although He had lived a sinless life. His own people, the Jews, struggled with His claims of being the Son of God. They knew that God had promised them a Messiah, who would come and rescue them from persecution. But they envisioned an earthly, military king from an impressive family. 

In the minds of the Jewish leaders, Jesus was just an ordinary, plain, poor man from an unimpressive family of carpenters. To make it worse, many of the Jewish religious leaders probably knew that a young woman named Mary who wasn’t even married conceived Jesus.  According to Jewish law, unmarried pregnant women should be stoned to death. Jesus certainly wasn't the King, the Jews were expecting!!  Even the brothers of Jesus didn’t believe He was the awaited Messiah until after his death. 

In the gospel of John, multiple times Jesus claimed equality with God. In John 10:30, Jesus is quoted saying, "I and the Father are one." The religious leaders were outraged and plotted to kill him. Because Jewish law prohibited them from executing one of their own, they asked the Romans to carry out the execution! 

Yesterday you read about the torture Jesus endured and the pain He went through to save us from spiritual death. He took the punishment for the sin of mankind on the cross.  This is the perfect example of the love God has for you. He watched His only son, Jesus Christ, who was God in human form, be tortured and put to death on the cross so you could have eternal life. Have you ever questioned God’s love for you?  Romans 5:8 is a great reminder of how powerful and how deep His love is for you. He demonstrates His everlasting love for us, because while we were still sinners, He died on the cross for your sins. Have joy and confidence in His love for you.  

How do the following relate to the Easter Story?

• Nails in the Cross:
• Dice for Gambling:

To see if your answers are right, continue to the following readings.