Easter, like Christmas, often has a meaning - the true meaning - which is overlooked. As this holiday approaches, many people focus on presents for their children, colored eggs, and the fanciest dinner many of us will have until Thanksgiving. However, it is in fact none of these things that cause us to gather in church and praise God for the day.
Thursday night, my church (Community Fellowship Free Will Baptist) took communion in remembrance of the Last Supper. Pastor Leroy stood before his parishioners and spoke of the meaning behind this sacred meal. He began by reading scripture which depicted the last supper then moved on to read that whoever took the bread and drank the wine (or in our case grape juice) and was not in good standings with the Father would be judged greatly. This being the first time I had hear this particular scripture, I began to panic. I was saved in November of last year and Baptized only weeks ago; I felt as if I was not a good enough Christian to take of this meal. As my mind was filled with doubts, my heart suddenly became full of peace and I realized God had not placed doubt in my mind - it was the work of satin. We were given a moment to pray personally and as I closed my eyes and confessed my sins, I began to cry. Our deacons prayed over the bread to bless it and to ask that each member keep in mind it's representation as Jesus' broken body. Then the juice was given a similar blessing, and we took communion. The children in the room were noisy however their inquiring minds touched my heart. As I watched their innocent bodies take in the words spoken at the alter, I became proud to be present during this beautiful ceremony.
Tonight is Good Friday and my family sat in our living room watching the Passion weeping as we saw our Lord and Savior be beaten not for his own sins but for the sins of each of us and though I have seen the movie several times, I could not contain my tears as this depiction of his death unfolded in front of my. Each time Jesus was hit or kicked or fell to his knees under the weight of his cross I cried out absentmindedly as I could not contain the turmoil within my own heart for both the guilt and the gratefulness I was feeling. I watched and was amazed at how truly human he was and I wonder if I could do what he did - I still have no idea. I looked to my mother and said, "How many times did Jesus stumble while carrying the cross yet push forward to carry every burden of every man? Yet many cannot even handle carrying their own." It is because we carry so many of our burdens alone and we seem to forget that He has already carried them for us once and it is simply our job to ask him to help do it again.
I am writing this tonight because on Sunday I will be in church praising God and thanking him for sending his son to die for the sins I have committed. I will be thanking Jesus for saving my soul and not giving into satin's temptations. It is more obvious to me now than it ever was before that when they asked a man to assist Jesus in carrying His cross and the man asked the crowd to remember that he was an innocent man forced to carry the cross of a condemned one that it was in fact the other way around. Were it not for Jesus bearing my cross and yours that I would be condemned. I ask that as Easter approaches you remember the true meaning of the holiday; I ask you to remember that it was not His cross to bear.
