Easter, Some thoughts

I love Easter,  It was at Children’s Service in 1981 at Neath,  that an 11 year old boy although raised in a Christian Family and to be honest had never known a life outside Church,  give his life to Jesus,  that 11 year old was me, that day was over 30 years ago and I remember as if it was yesterday.

A lot of things have happened in the meanwhile, and a lot of water has passed underneath the Bridge, times have been enjoyable and times have been  less than enjoyable, yet that 11 year boy has grown up and hopefully matured and has become a 46 year old man.  When I look back with hindsight and I see the highs and the many lows, the times that yes it’s been difficult.

Lamentations 3:22-23

English Standard Version (ESV)

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;^[a]
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Some 2,000 years ago, a man was lead to his death by an occupying army to die a death that was both humiliating and agonizing  both the political and religious authorities had conspired to end the live of this one man because they felt threatened by his message and popularity his friends had run away from him and where now in hiding.

 One of his friends had betrayed him and one of his closest friends had denied him, he was beaten and bloodied, and was led to certain death by public execution, of all the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands who shared his fate or will share his fate including some of his latter disciples, this one death out of thousands of similar deaths of those who had been crucified on a cross of wood,

 This one death was and is of eternal significance, this death bought God’s Gift of Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, The Redemption of Mankind.

When our Lord Jesus came, He had one mission in mind, he voluntary laid aside his divine attributes and was born by a woman, he lived a normal life in seeming obscurity, he launched his mission by these words The Spirit of the Lord is upon me see Luke 4:18-19, he had been tempted to sin by the deceiver and accuser Satan, yet had not sinned, indeed there was no sin found in Him, his mission then and now is to save sinners. John the Baptist said these words when Jesus came to him to be baptised in Water, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, and see John 1:28-30

In 1904, The Lord moved mightily in the land of Wales and tens if not hundreds of thousands give their live to the Lord and became followers of Jesus, one of the most famous hymns to come out of that time was Here is Love vast as the Ocean or Dyma Gariad Fel Y Moroedd

Dyma gariad fel y moroedd,

Tosturiaethau fel y lli:

Twysog Bywyd pur yn marw—

Marw i brynu’n bywyd ni.

Pwy all beidio â chofio amdano?

Pwy all beidio â thraethu’I glod?

Dyma gariad nad â’n angof

Tra fo nefoedd wen yn bod.

Ar Galfaria yr ymrwygodd

Holl ffynhonnau’r dyfnder mawr;

Torrodd holl argaeau’r nefoedd

Oedd yn gyfain hyd yn awr:

Gras â chariad megis dilyw

Yn ymdywallt ymâ ’nghyd,

A chyfiawnder pur â heddwch

Yn cusanu euog fyd.

Here is love, vast as the ocean,

Lovingkindness as the flood,

When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,

Shed for us His precious blood.

Who His love will not remember?

Who can cease to sing His praise?

He can never be forgotten,

Throughout heav'n's eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,

Fountains opened deep and wide;

Through the floodgates of God's mercy

Flowed a vast and gracious tide.

Grace and love, like mighty rivers,

Poured incessant from above,

And heav'n's peace and perfect justice

Kissed a guilty world in love.

Let me all Thy love accepting,

Love Thee, ever all my days;

Let me seek Thy kingdom only

And my life be to Thy praise;

Thou alone shalt be my glory,

Nothing in the world I see.

Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,

Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me

By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;

And Thy grace my need is meeting,

As I trust in Thee, my Lord.

Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring

Thy great love and power on me,

Without measure, full and boundless,

Drawing out my heart to Thee.

It's now  Easter,  a time of renewal and restoration, hope and transformation because Jesus paid the ultimate price and died for our sins and rose victorious from the grave and now is in Heaven.  I would ask you to think about the real reason for Easter which hasn’t nothing to do with Easter Eggs, Hot Cross Buns or indeed the Easter Bunny, but it’s because of Our Lord, Our Saviour, Our Redeemer Jesus Christ. I could continue but I will close with this video.

Yours because of his Salvation