I'm staying home today due to a resurgence in my dastardly cold, and I'm sad to miss the joy of celebrating Easter with my church family. For that matter, I'm sad to miss the cousins Easter egg hunt with family on the other coast, and dinner with our friends down the street. Even if I was well, we couldn't participate in all of those events, but I'm still blaming it on the cold. I did mention it is dastardly?
Anyway, as I stumbled out of bed for the DayQuil and ibuprofen, resigning myself to the fact that I would have to stay home in bed, I thought about why Easter is so special. It is even more joyful than Christmas to me (and I love Christmas!), but I don't know that I've ever considered why until today. Isn't the day God became Man equally as momentous?
Emphatically, yes! But here's my thought: the birth of Jesus is a miraculous event that changed the world forever...but he could have done anything after he was born. He was (is) God made flesh, a vessel of divine power and sovereignty on Earth. He could have chosen to destroy the world, rule over the world, turn the world over to the chosen nation of Israel, or, after realizing what it meant from a human perspective, chosen simply not to have taken our sins upon himself. He chose to die for all.
The hero of the story, hanging from nails on a cross while his life's blood pours out and soaks into the dry ground.
Those who trusted him, gave up everything for him, heartbroken and confused.
A tragedy, while the Enemy looks on in triumph.
Until Easter.
