It's Easter

It's Easter by Joel Marion

The absolute greatest “undeserved” gift I’ve ever received — the true and genuine reason for the Easter season, far and above all else -- is the gift JESUS purchased for me, for you, for everyone who will receive, when He died in our place.

I’m a flawed individual. While I’ve done a lot of good, I’ve also messed up more times than I can count. There are times I’ve been selfish. I’ve lied. I’ve reacted in anger, and at times, that anger caused me to say or do something that I wasn’t proud of. I’ve “lost control”. I’ve been lazy. I’ve gossiped. I’ve been prideful. Basically, I deserve a "rotten egg" for Easter, this year and every other year I’ve been alive.

God’s word says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That’s everyone, from the beginning of time, starting with Adam and Eve.

The price for our sin? Romans 6:23 leaves no ambiguity:

“The wages of sin is death...”

But fortunately, the verse doesn’t end there. “The wages of sin is death... but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Fact is, I’m a sinner. You’re a sinner. We are all sinners. And we've all fallen way short. But God loves us so much, that He made a way for us to wipe the slate clean, over and over again, and be viewed as righteous in His sight.

Think about that. It truly is the greatest undeserved gift of all time. God became flesh, living among us as Christ Jesus, to pay the price for your sin and mine...

Although flawless, Jesus was mocked, and beaten, subjected to unthinkable torture, even before coming face to face with those final agonizing hours on the cross.

To start, a crown of jagged thorns was placed on His head and pressed deep into His scalp, leaving blood pouring down His forehead and face as they ridiculed him as “King of the Jews”...

To further the humiliation, Jesus was then stripped of His clothes and bound to a post where He was forced to endure the most degrading and violent form of public torture known to man, the Roman Scourging. Whipped repeatedly with a “cat of nine tails” laced with jagged bone, the Son of Man was beaten profusely to the point of being unrecognizable.

Weak and near death, Jesus was mandated to carry his own cross down the Via Dolorosa (the “Way of Suffering”), a street in Jerusalem more than 6 football fields in length, leading to the hillside of Golgatha where he was brutally crucified.

Nailed with iron spikes through His wrists and feet, Jesus hung in excruciating pain for 6 hours before breathing His last breath, taking on the sin of the world and making the gift of salvation available to all mankind.

But here’s the critically important thing, and I don’t want anyone reading to miss this: while everyone has access to this remarkable, love- and sacrifice-filled gift, not everyone receives it.

Is it because some aren’t “good” enough? No. As Ephesians 2:8-9 states, salvation cannot be earned:

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

So, if we can’t earn salvation on our own, how do we get access to this enormously gracious, life-changing, and incomparable gift?

Simply put, we have to accept it, and believe it. That’s it. It’s not by works; no man is good enough. Romans 10:9 gives us the roadmap:

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Fact is, there is a real, caring and loving God who wants to have a genuine and authentic relationship with you, despite all your shortcomings. Yes you. Why? Because He created you, and because He loves you so much, to the point of sending His son to die for you. If you were the only person on earth, Jesus still would have come to die for you.

Think about how loved and important and valuable you are to God. And today, the ultimate gift of salvation is yours to receive.

Will you receive it?

2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

From experience, I can tell you that accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life will unquestionably and undoubtedly be the absolute best decision you ever make. It’s life-changing, in the most incredible and fulfilling way, and I can tell you that first-hand.

Today, God is more evident and active in my life than ever before, but it hasn’t always been that way. In times past, I’ve have periods of trying to do it all myself, times where I thought, or at least acted like, I didn’t need God. And I fell flat on my face. My career suffered, my relationships suffered, and my life suffered tremendously as a whole.

And maybe that’s exactly where you are right now. Maybe you’re hurting. Maybe you’re feeling empty inside. Maybe you’re going through a real-life nightmare. I’m here to tell you, God is here to take your hurt, and turn it into triumph. All you have to do is turn it over to Him.

“But Joel, I’m not like you. You don’t know where I’ve been, and what I’ve done.”

And you’re right, I don’t. But God does know, and He still welcomes you with open arms, even with all your mess (just as He did for me). You see, there’s no sin too big or too small to keep you from God’s love. His forgiveness is abundant and endless, without exception. All we have to do is receive it.

Today, I urge you, don’t wait another moment to receive God’s life-changing free gift of salvation. Don't waste the pain and sacrifice He went through on the cross, for you. Pray this prayer, and as you read, say it from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I accept your gift of salvation with open arms today. I believe that You paid the price for my sin on the cross, and through Your resurrection and grace, I am saved. Lord, I desire a real, authentic relationship with You as my Creator. Come into my life; become the Lord of my life. I’m not going to look back. Today, my life is forever changed. I accept it. I receive it. In Jesus's name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer just now, you just received the greatest gift of all time. What an incredible decision! Your life will truly never be the same.

Today is the start of a brand new, beautiful, fulfilling and ever-lasting chapter of your life. “The gift”; it’s yours! And like a kid discovering the hidden treasures of Easter this season, unwrap it and immerse yourself in everything it has to offer.