As I was praying one night, I pondered what I might share with you as I thought about Jesus’ resurrection and our celebration of what He has made possible through His rising from the dead, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said “the Gifts of Easter”. Immediately three gifts came to mind which I want to share with you in the following post.
For the Christian, Christmas is the proclamation from heaven that God’s only begotten Son had come into our world. God had given us the Ultimate Gift. And with His entrance was God’s message to mankind that the Savior was born who would provide through His life and death forgiveness of sins and the resulting pathway to peace with God, a life worth living and a life with a purpose. But the arrival of that man, the Son of God and Son of man, was only the beginning. Without His death and resurrection, His life would have meant nothing to us.
But something happened that changed everything. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD and CONQUERED DEATH HELL AND THE GRAVE!!! His birth provided a Savior offering “the gift” of salvation. But His resurrection provided gifts as well. A few of them are Grace, Mercy and Peace. Think about it. What would our lives look like without His grace, mercy and peace.
Grace is unmerited, undeserved favor – something you and I could not earn or obtain without God choosing to love us in spite of who we are or what we’ve done. It is unmerited – freely given by God to us daily. It’s His love extended to me every day with His arms outstretched to receive me always. In almost every epistle, the writer begins with a greeting extending his desire and prayer for grace and peace to cover them. In 2 John, 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus, Paul prays for God’s grace, mercy and peace to be their portion. And in all the other epistles, the greeting and blessing extended is for grace and peace to be evident in their life and ministry.
Mercy is by definition, showing leniency to the guilty. It is God choosing a pathway for forgiveness. It is a continual clearing the path of our failures and sin every time we cry out to Him. “His mercies are new EVERY MORNING” Lam. 3.23. That means every single day He gives us the opportunity to start fresh, with a clean slate, if we want it.
Peace that Jesus provides is not the peace that the world provides. Some people equate peace with quiet – no noise or distractions. And while that might be one evidence of it, it is not the peace that Jesus is speaking of when He said “Peace I leave with you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The peace He is speaking of is “the cessation of hostilities”. It is the peace that calms the sea and turbulence of the waves. It is the deep peace that finds its source anchored on the Rock of our Salvation; that is looking at the Savior believing you can step out of the boat at His beckoning and walk on water to Him. And so much more . . .
As we celebrate Easter this year let us keep in the forefront of our mind that through Jesus’ resurrection each of us have been given favor we couldn’t earn, forgiveness we couldn’t purchase and mercy that meets us every morning, every day, every month and every year. There is no mountain too big, no river too wide, no giant too strong to overcome the resurrection power of Christ in us. AS CHRISTIANS, WE HAVE MUCH TO CELEBRATE! He is risen . . . and WE WIN BECAUSE HE DID!
Heartgate International Ministries 