It is during this time of year that the hearts and minds of Christians around the world turn to the incomparable sacrifice God made when He sent His son to die upon a cross. Because of this sacrifice, in Him we have redemption through His blood and saving grace. Nothing anyone has ever done or will ever do can merit such a selfless act impossible of being adequately described or paralleled.

From the beginning of the Lenten season until Easter Sunday, many traditions and rituals are carried out to commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior. During this time, it is not uncommon to find movies which ordinarily would not be accessible that depict the last days of Jesus on earth. In recent years a few have been produced where the actual crucifixion is almost too graphic to watch. One of those I reference is The Passion of the Christ. To this day, I have been unable to watch that particular movie from beginning to end. However, as graphic and horrific as the movie producers and actors have portrayed the inhumane murder of our Lord, I refuse to believe that what He actually endured can accurately be illustrated, no matter how sophisticated the cinematography. Is that a visual we want fixed in the portals of our minds? Absolutely not! But it is the constant remembrance of the reason that should never leave our consciousness.

I would like to think that throughout the course of my lifetime I have matured naturally and spiritually in many ways. This is not something I brag about because I had so much help along the way for which I am constantly grateful. I remember my adolescent and teenage years very well. I was very fortunate to be raised in a loving home, surrounded by incredible parents and older sisters. By no means were we the perfect family; but how could we be when we are imperfect people. But what I did know was that I was loved and very well cared for. Being the very normal young girl that I was, I experienced many temptations and challenges – even growing up in a Christian home. But it seemed like every time I was faced with one of those temptations, the first thing that came to my mind was my family, specifically my parents and my sisters. It was as if their very faces flashed before my eyes. Immediately if I was considering going left, my mind was redirected to go right! Trust me, it was not the fact that I was this angelic little “church going” girl who never had a wrong thought or intention! Beyond a shadow of a doubt it was the unquestionable love each of them had for me. More than anything else it was the love they had for me that made me never want to disappoint them or break their hearts.

The fact that Jesus gave His life willingly for you demonstrates His unquestionable love as no one on this earth can. He knows because we are fleshly beings, even those who possess the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, are prone to missteps and failures. Yet His love for us supersedes any of our indiscretions. We are indeed mere sinners saved by His grace! So, although we do not and cannot celebrate this Holy season of Easter on a daily basis, what we can do is never forget the reason why! Why He allowed Himself to be criticized, ridiculed, and betrayed. Why He subjected Himself to the most barbaric cruelty any human could suffer. Why He slept in a cold empty grave for three days. The reason why . . . because of His love for you and for me. Every act from the days He walked this earth clothed in flesh, until this very day is because of a love that can never be matched. A love that knows no limits, that is the reason why.

Source: New feed