Scatter-bunnies, The Resurrection & Eyewitnesses

If you ask Christians which holiday is their favorite, you might get the answer, "Easter."  Up and to a few months ago, my answer would have been, "Thanksgiving."  And, it may still be the holiday I look forward to as the Fall is my favorite time of the year.  However, Easter is more precious to me now than it has been at any other time in my life.  On the one hand, it is sad it takes the loss of my mother to really appreciate Easter...but on the other hand, I am thankful God has allowed me the opportunity at this point in my life to fully understand and be thankful for what Easter is really all about.

 

As much as I LOVE furry, cute, huggable, lovable, adorable bunny rabbits - they have NOTHING to do with Easter.  Personally, I think bunnies should be celebrated in March (ahem, MY birthday...) or May.  Rabbits have more of an appeal to me of the coming of Spring....or babies being born.

 

In fact, if you really dissect what a bunny is all about...I can't even remotely get any symbolic reference to Jesus, the Resurrection or New Life in Christ.  The cuteness, warmth and charm of hopping bunnies are a direct opposite to the agonizing death Jesus suffered on my behalf when He willingly submitted to God the Father's will and was crucified.  Bunnies scatter at the mere hint of danger (kinda like the disciples).  Jesus didn't scatter.  He endured the scorn, shame, abandonment, ridicule, horrific scourging, ripping/tearing away of His flesh...and ultimately the wrath of God poured out upon Him for my sin...and your sin...past, present & future.

 

Yesterday, we looked at the resurrection being crucial to our faith.  Today, we get more information regarding eyewitenesses and the blessing of having faith without seeing Jesus.

 

By the way, it has been 2 months since we buried my mother.  I still cry when I linger too long on thoughts of her...or when my dad breaks down...or when I hear certain songs...or just because I miss my mom.  Though I fully believed Jesus was resurrected, and I know that makes my resurrection certain at Jesus' return, it is the sweeter to me now with the passing of my mom.  My only hope to endure the time of my mom's diagnosis, fading away and eventual death was based upon the rock solid Truth of Jesus' death, burial & resurrection.

 

Where is your hope placed today?

Don't be a scatter-bunny.

I love you all & pray for you daily!

-M

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

They All Saw Him Posted: 07 Apr 2009 03:13 PM PDT ". . . and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:5-6) He'd been burned too badly to believe in Jesus any more. He was done. He'd put all his hope — willingly risked his own life — to follow Christ. And then Jesus just died up there on that cross. Thomas was scared and angry because a dead Messiah wasn't what he'd signed up for. Paul tells his readers in Corinth that the Gospel is not complete without Easter. The story could not end with the cross and still have any meaning. The resurrection is so important, he said, that if they wanted evidence — as Thomas demanded when the other disciples came and told him they'd seen Jesus alive — they could go and ask some of the other firsthand witnesses. Paul wanted them to know that believing in Easter was reasonable. We don't have even that option available, beyond reading the 2,000-year-old testimony of a few of those men. Thomas got his proof, but we must take it on faith that Jesus walked out of that tomb. It's still a reasonable faith, but it's also an act of trust, one for which God blesses us with the promise of an escape from our own tombs. "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29) Think: Can you blame Thomas for wanting proof? Can you explain to someone why you believe in the resurrection without firsthand evidence of your own? Pray: Thank God for giving you the faith to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Ask Him to help your everyday choices to reflect your belief that Jesus is alive-again Son of God. Do: Read Thomas's exchange with Jesus in John 29:24-31. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!