Friday, March 30, 2012

Christ Lives Within Us

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -- Galatians 2:20

Folks are beginning to think about Easter. The ladies are shopping for a new dress with shoes to match. The kids eagerly anticipate the Easter bunny and all the chocolate they can imagine. Family gatherings are planned for after the required church service. It will be a glorious day.

Too bad we don’t spend as much time and effort remembering the days leading up to that empty tomb. We forget that sacrifice, rushing past it’s agony and moving on to the glory. But there can be no glory without the cross.

My cross. Your cross. The cross Jesus willing died on to pay for my sins and yours. We like to think of that in general terms. He died for all humanity. He died for everyone. It’s somehow easier than looking in the mirror and saying, “Jesus died for me.”

Some days I imagine myself in His shoes. I think about the whip, with nails entwined in the strap, coming down on my skin again and again. I imagine trying to carry that heavy cross beam, that scholars estimate weighed at least 75 lbs. Then the cross itself. The nails going in. The hours of agony as it becomes harder and harder to breath.

For me. He did it for me. He paid for my sins. His agony was because of me. And I died right there with Him. His victory over sin gave me life. So now I live anew, with His heart within me.

How does that change me? Do I still want what I want or do I yield those desires to the One who gave up everything for me? Do I still worry and fret over things I cannot control or change or do I give them to the One who defeated death? Because He lives within me, my life rests within His almighty hands.

It changes how I view life. It changes how I view others. Problems seem smaller when I see them through the eyes of Jesus. People seem different when I see them through the eyes of Jesus. I look out on a world that seems so dark and yet there is light. Hope. A chance of forever with a Savior who gave all He had to save you and me.

It’s fun to get all dressed up on Easter. It’s great to celebrate and gather with family and friends to share joy and great food. But let us never, ever forget the cost.