Christ died for everyone. He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore. They should live for Christ. He died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV

The weight of the world scarred Jesus' flesh and broke the hearts of those who knew He had done nothing wrong. We will never be able to fully comprehend this type of sacrifice. He was held by nails of hatred and hung on a cross to die. We need to consider how HE paid the price for our sin.  

God gives us the gift of GRACE. Some describe it as “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” He sacrificed Jesus, so His will would be fulfilled. He knows the heart of ALL suffering. As hard as it is to visit the cross, we need to draw closer to Jesus with grateful appreciation.  

We need to be reminded what He endured and bravely face the sadness of shame. Examining our hearts will reveal what needs to be discovered. God IS ready for us to RECEIVE His love and recognize HE is worthy of so much more than what we give. Our Father lifted His Son and allowed Him to rise. We should ALWAYS be ready to thank Him as we open our eyes and recognize WHY we need the Savior. 

As we prepare to welcome the JOY of Easter, let’s examine our hearts and honor the One who died in our place.  His death and resurrection are gifts we don't deserve. But we can receive His offering of love because God calls us worthy of earning the reward of salvation.   

We must never turn our eyes from Jesus. As we focus on Him, He will provide abundant joy as we follow Him, turn from our selfish ways and know Him as Lord of our lives. He will bandage the sores of our souls and remind us what we already know; we NEED to draw closer to Him.  

Dear God, it’s not easy to think about the suffering of Christ. As we take time to consider what has been done for each one of us, please take the burden of our shame. Open our eyes to examine our lives, so we will understand why we need the Savior. Forgive us when we need to be reminded to love Him MORE. Thank you for restoring our hearts with strength, peace and gratitude. Thank you for the power of Your love. Amen