once again, another significant christian festival is coming. and it's the time where i ask rhetorical questions again. haha... and the most common of which is... what is good friday to you? what is easter to you? a holiday? easter bunnies and eggs? or Jesus' victory over the grave?

and once again, because the festival is named good friday and easter that many fail to relate to it the significant event of Jesus' death and ressurrection. we got distracted... just like we did during christmas.

what does christmas suggest? what does good friday suggest? what does easter suggest? no wonder we all take it to be just a holiday... but the chinese language puts it through more bluntly.. so in mandarin, christmas is 圣诞节 which literally translates to holy birth festival (you might wanna refer to an earlier post where i talked abt this) and guess what good friday is?

耶稣受难日

and easter?

复活节

wow!

and literally, good friday translates to day of Jesus' suffering and easter translates to returning to life festival, which we also call ressurrection.

so how're you going to celebrate the holiday this year? remembering that the One took your place so that you can live again... live without fear, without bondage... live in freedom.

well, then you've to ask yourself.. what does freedom mean to you then? is it the allowance to do anything you wish? let me draw a scenario for you...

just think, imagine i am a liar. i can lie whenever i what about anything i want. well, i reason, the tongue is mine and i control it. one day, i find myself caught in my own lies. (has that ever happened to you before?). and when that happens, it no longer is freedom. you're caught.. you end up telling more lies to cover the lies you told previously.

addiction is not freedom.

freedom is the ability to live freely, to always be exposed and don't feel shame. that's freedom. at least to me.

Jesus came that we might have life... and life in abundance. Jesus came so that we can be born again, so that we can proclaim that the old has gone and the new has come. Jesus came so that we can have new life, living free from the bondage of sin and fear.

He was the sacrificial lamb. He was sacrificed so that we can live.

well, maybe you ask, since God loves us so much, why can't he overlook sin? but we often forget too, that God is a just God. in his holiness, he cannot overlook sin. there needs to be a penalty.

Jesus was that penalty. He suffered... He died but He rose again, signifying the overcoming of death. so that all who call upon Him can live... and live eternally. He wants us to know Him.. He wants us to return to Him, to know how much He loves us, to have a relationship with Him.

sometimes i do find it difficult to understand how can a loving God administer harsh punishments (at least they seem harsh in my own earthly eyes) and why... why would God... die for us??? people who stray... people who reason and doubt... why??

and i'm reminded of a phrase i saw at a service one day...

"in His justice, He cannot overlook sin. in His love, He cannot overlook you."

He just cannot overlook you... He is unable to... He loves you too much..

that's why He was willing... that's why He had to do something about our relationship... that's why we have good friday... that's why we have easter...

doesn't that make your heart resonate with His love?

{ Thursday, April 5 }