Easter is just around the corner; it is about an EMPTY TOMB. But without the sacrifice on the cross there would be no Resurrection; there would be no Easter. OVER 500 reliable witnesses saw the Risen Jesus; that is a pretty amazing testimony. Fewer than that are required to convict a criminal, fewer than that number have changed an election outcome, fewer than 500 are the number of souls living in our former corner of the world – 84 according to the number on the Strawberry CA marker at 5280 feet in the Central Sierra.
As we have spent the last four years on the road, we have noticed countless churches with AMAZING artistic renditions of the cross. “The Cross made a difference for me” says a famous old hymn and several modern renditions of that song, of that statement. We see crosses on walls, Pastor Tom had quite a number on his office wall; I have several items of jewelry containing a cross. We see them front and center in the various churches that we visit as we travel. YES, as Christians we are fascinated by the CROSS. I asked a young man if his was a statement of faith or an item of decoration. He said after a moment of thought, “Some of both; my grandma gave it to me!” Along with her prayers I would imagine!!
For an ugly form of intimidation, of painful and long suffering death, artists have certainly “cleaned it up!” The ROMANS used crucifiction as a tool of terror to prevent insurrection, to punish, and to intimidate the various cultures that they conquered. It could take as long as three DAYS for the person to die of the inability to lift his body enabling the taking of a breath. TORTURE!!
But Jesus Christ, our Savior, gave his life that we believers might inherit ETERNAL LIFE! What a LOVE, what a sacrifice, and we continue to celebrate the CROSS and the EMPTY TOMB. Praise GOD the tomb is empty and we serve a Risen Savior…he is in the world today despite the efforts AGAIN to intimidate through propaganda, fake news, and the disrespect of HISTORY. Happy Easter, admire a cross, be a follower of Jesus and PRAISE GOD for his love of us sinners, for all have sinned and fallen short of the GLORY of Almighty GOD!!
Thanks Martha! Glad your Dr appointments are about done. Happy Easter! Larry and Marcia are up in NC at Gerry and Dale’s for a few days. They say the dementia he has isn’t progressing fast and he is in pretty good shape and his memory was good enough he could play pitch. Dale is sick with upper respiratory infection.
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