Each year, millions of Christians throughout the world will be celebrating Easter, or what I feel is more appropriately called, Resurrection Sunday. This celebration commemorates the rising of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from death to eternal life. Why did God Incarnate come to earth and die a cruel and lingering death on a cross?
Let’s go back to the beginning. In the interest of time and space, please read Genesis one and two and 3:1-19 as briefly described below.
Our scene starts in the pure, peaceful and plentiful Garden of Eden. God has created man and woman and has provided all they need to enjoy a perfect life with each other and Him. However, He gives them one rule: they are not to touch or eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. They needed no further knowledge because Almighty God was enough. Unfortunately, another creature inhabited the garden as well—the serpent. Satan tempts them, they disobey, and were immediately ashamed because sin has entered their perfect world.
What is so stunning about this short discourse, is that our loving and compassionate God speaks the first Messianic prophesy:
”And I will put enmity (feelings of opposition and/or hostility) between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush (Satan’s defeat when Christ rose from the dead) your head, and you will strike (Satan’s attempts to defeat Christ while on earth) his heel.”
The enemy continues to tempt mankind, however, Our glorious God always makes provision for that original sin through trusting His Son to be our Savior and Lord. Jesus left heaven to live and die for us so we could enjoy eternal life with Him. He said no to the temptations in the wilderness quoting the Word as we must.
As we approach Resurrection Sunday, the foundation of our faith, let us remember the price that was paid for us. If you don’t know our Savior, I hope you will begin your new life by inviting the Risen Christ into your heart. This can be your life’s greatest decision.
