Easter

Ever since I can remember my mom always made me or (bought me) a new Easter dress.  It was no small sacrifice on her part.  She rarely felt well enough to sew...and she rarely had extra money, but somehow every year--I had a new dress.  I guess that's the love and sacrifice a mother gives.  I miss her terribly.  She was by biggest fan.  And now, every single good thing that happens in my life is bittersweet--because my biggest fan is gone.  

My mother had a servant's heart.  She wanted to make that dress for me, because she knew it would make me smile.  She had a passion about putting others before herself.  

But, isn't that really what Easter is all about?  Serving.  Or, let's drop the worldly name, and call it what it is--Passover.  (On a side note, seriously look up where the word "Easter" came from , and explain to me why we as Christians refer to the celebration of our risen Savior as "Easter".)  

At the Last Supper, Jesus lead the Passover celebration with His disciples.  He took bread, He blessed it, He broke it.  He passed the bread among the disciples.  He served them.  Just as the bread was torn, so would His body be torn through the beating and crucifixion He would endure.  Like the lamb of the Old Testament that had to die so the firstborn Israelites could live, Jesus' body had to endure the pain of the crucifixion to cover the sins of humanity.  

After the bread, Jesus took a cup and gave thanks for it.  Sacrifice.  Blood that was shed for a specific reason was the heart of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.  Jesus died, His blood had a purpose.  He was a sacrifice.  He established a new covenant with those willing to receive forgiveness for their sins.  

Because of the new covenant, we can now have a personal relationship with our Savior!  No priests, no sacrifices.  Just grace and love.  

It's a Holy invitation.  

Can I be honest?  Sometimes I forget all that.  I get so caught up in Easter eggs, and hiding the eggs, and finding the eggs and Easter baskets, and our Easter best, and Cadbury Eggs---for the love of Pete Cadbury Eggs!  Oh, once I get to church I focus and I remember what the day is all about and all---for like the whole church service even.....but then, we go home, and if we're not careful--it's real easy to slip into "normalcy".  When every single day should be a day of celebrating Jesus. 

Jesus spent His last moments serving people.  He spent His last moments praying for people that would betray and abandon Him.  He literally sweat blood in fear of the cross and yet followed through in obedience to the Father's will that we might know forgiveness.  

If Jesus spent His last moments serving....shouldn't we live our lives to reflect that?  

Last year I felt deeply convicted that spending money on new clothes for Easter was completely ridiculous.  There was no reason I needed to spend money on new clothes, when I do in fact have clothes--and others have nothing.  So I didn't.  I gave what I would have spent away.  

Now, before you go thinking I'm a saint---here's the really sick part--I REALLY REALLY wanted a new dress.  How pathetic am I?  

Yes, I had clothes in my closet, but none of them were new, and most of them made me feel fat.  I can't worship when I feel fat.  I can't do a lot of things when I feel fat.  

Anyway--one day my mother explained to me why she always made sure I had a new Easter dress.  It was a symbol.  A symbol of "new" life.  Resurrected with Christ--in new Christ-like clothes.  

You can't buy those clothes.  You can't make them.  You receive them, when you receive Christ.  It's a process and those are the most beautiful clothes you will ever receive.

There's a lot I don't understand.  There are many occasions that I stumble and fall, and say the wrong things or think the wrong things.  There are many things I take for granted.  

But--I want to celebrate Christ and I think the best way to do that is to serve others.  

Who will you serve this Passover?