A time of new beginnings

Easter is a very special time of the year for us, a time when we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Of all the aspects of Christianity, this event is perhaps the hardest for us to understand or explain. 

Why did Jesus have to die? Why did God have Him killed in such a way only to raise Him up again? Therein lies the mystery of our faith. This was the story told by a Sunday School teacher to her children one day in an attempt to explain this mystery:

Two soldiers were involved in a very intense battle one day, where many men were killed and wounded. One of the men had been badly wounded and he and his compatriot both knew that he was going to die. The other soldier was distressed, and tried to sooth the injured man's fears as best he could, but the dying soldier turned to him and said:

"My friend, don't concern yourself over my death. I have made peace with God, and I know that it is my turn to die. Worry more about your own future."
He then told the man that he knew of a plan that some officers had to court-martial him for something he had done. If convicted, the soldier could be killed or imprisoned for life. The dying man said "Please, as my last gift to you I want you to take my identity. Take my name, my papers, my whole past and swap it with your own, so that when they find my body they will think it is you. You will then be free, completely free to live your life. All your sins and past crimes will be wiped out, and no-one will know anything more of them."

And that is why Jesus had to die for us, to release us from our past and set us once again on the road to freedom, to give us a new life free from our previous sins and troubles. A new beginning, a rebirth, and a new life. Let us thank God for this most precious gift that He gave to us, and let us grasp it with both hands, turn our faces back to God and say "God, help me to use this new beginning you have given me, help me to remain steadfast in my faith, help me to grow always in your love, help me to stand true in the face of my troubles, but mostly, Lord, help me to do whatever I can to assist others in their own troubles."

In this way we can strengthen each other for the road ahead.

May God bless you today and forever.
 
John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be killed, so that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have everlasting life."
 
See Ya Soon, 
May God bless you today and forever!