“Woman, your son; Son, your mother.”
Jesus is in the middle of incredible pain and yet he is thinking about others. So many times when we are in pain we seem to take it out on others. Not Jesus!

“Woman”
Imagine as a mother what Mary must have felt to see her son on the cross. In reality, we can’t even begin to imagine what it would have been like. It must have been the most gut wrenching event of her life. Every parent feels the pain of a child, and crucifixion is considered one of the most painful ways to die ever devised by man. Yet she was with Jesus at the foot of the cross. I am sure she felt every nail and was gripped by sadness.

“Son”, “Mother”
God knows us each by name, but Jesus did not use the name of John or Mary. He referred to them by terms related to a family relationship. His request is very simple…. take care of each other as a mother and son. In times of great stress and distress we need support from family and friends. And with the family of God, we all have a new, much extended family.

Thoughts for Easter
I wonder if you are going through a painful experience in your own life. Are you looking for sympathy or looking after others. Are you focused on your own pain, or the pain others are experiencing? Instead of focusing on your own pain this Easter, remember those around you. There may be people suffering, that in the midst of your own pain, you hadn’t noticed were hurting. Their pain may seem insignificant compared to yours, but for Jesus it was important that those near to him were comforted in times of great distress.

Easter Collection

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Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

“Today”
Jesus makes a huge promise to the sinner next to him on the cross. Today you will be with me in paradise. Immediately. Instantly. Now. Not tomorrow. Not in a hundred years. Not in a in a thousand years. Not in a in a million years. Not at the second coming of Christ. But today. Immediately. I don’t understand what awaits us after we pass through the doors of death, but I know eternal life awaits beyond.

“Today, You”
You. That means you and me. We will be in paradise with God when we die. I don’t believe Christ’s promise is only towards the thief on the cross but Christ’s promise is directed towards you and me as well.

“Today, You will be with me”
With me. The emphasis in the Bible is not on being reunited with our loved ones from earth though I also believe that will happen. The Bible focuses on something even better… We will be with Christ, we will be in God’s Presence.

“Today, You will be with me in paradise”
We will seen the face and glory of God. We will be with loved ones. There will no war nor starvation nor evil for these things will have been all destroyed. It will be paradise! I can’t explain and any explanation will fall far short of the reality. Its beyond anything we can comprehend.

God loves us and he wants us to know that we will be with him. His presence is what really matters. Its his presence that makes it paradise. But God also promises his presence with us today. Are you able to see the presence of God in your life today! Its only a foretaste of what it will be like when in paradise, when the overwhelming presence of God is truly revealed in all his glory! Don’t wait… it can begin today!

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“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

“Father”
These are the first recorded words we have from Jesus on the Cross. He begins with a prayer to our intimate heavenly Father. He does not address his beloved disciple John, nor the grieving women who followed him nor the religious leaders, nor the sinners on each side, nor the gawking crowd below. Jesus did not look at the people around him, but up to the Father above. He will only be able to see the people around him in proper perspective when he focuses on the Father first. Are our first thoughts toward God in everything?

“Father, forgive them”
But there’s more. While in excruciating pain, Jesus asked God to forgive his tormentors. I don’t know about you, but in the midst of the pain, especially when I am on the receiving end, I find it difficult to think about forgiveness. Christ’s pain wasn’t even over yet, it had just begun! The people on the receiving end of God’s forgiveness certainly didn’t deserve it. They didn’t even ask for it. It wasn’t even a past event. More was to come. Yet he still asked the Father to forgive them. What amazing grace! What amazing love! This may be the most powerful example of grace and forgiving love in the whole Bible.

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
Did the soldiers, the gawkers, the Jewish leaders, the angry spectators, fully comprehend the consequences of their actions? We don’t know all the reasons they were there on that day at the cross. All we need to do is to think about ourselves a little — How often do we actually think through the repercussions of what WE do? We may think we are doing the right things. We have noble ambitions. We may be protecting the truth. Standing up for righteousness. Making sure the wicked don’t go unpunished. Our reasons may even be less than honorable or outright rebellious. In the end it doesn’t really matter why they were there. They thought they knew what they were doing, but in the eternal scheme of things they had no clue!

But Christ’s concern wasn’t the “Why?” When faced with persecution, with trials, with pain, our first response is to ask God “why?” Maybe we want to understand to have a reason to grant forgiveness! But Christ’s didn’t need a reason. True love doesn’t need a reason. His first response was reconciliation, forgiveness, grace!

That’s the first and final conclusion of the cross – grace – God loved us first, taking the initiative to reconcile with us, even at the greatest possible cost to himself.

May this Easter season be a time of reconciliation for all of us! Don’t ask for an explanation. Don’t try to understand. Don’t wait for someone to ask you for forgiveness. Don’t focus on what is happening down here. Focus on your heavenly Father. Look up in prayer on their behalf. When you do, you will find the grace to take the first loving steps toward loving forgiveness for those around you, regardless of what they are doing, or why they are doing it. Simply forgive and leave the rest up to God!

Easter Collection

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection