A few weeks ago I was burning wood in my fireplace, now suddenly the stark dark limbs on the oak trees are bursting with fresh green leaves. The blackberry vines climbing on the back fence are filled with blooms. Tiny figs are popping out on my fig bushes. Daffodils and tulips are blooming in my flower beds. It’s like the earth has come alive! Don’t you love Spring? It’s as if this season points to how Christ’s sacrifice changed everything. Jesus, the light of the world, conquered the dark powers of evil and death and brought us everlasting, eternal joy.

While preparing breakfast, I noticed my neighbors down the road saying goodbye to some friends who had spent the night. It was fun to watch because I knew the procedure. First, you mention you need to be leaving. After some discussion about whether or not you really have to go this soon (10 minutes at least), your hosts follow you outside to your car. While you load your bags, more discussion about hating to see you go so soon and how much they enjoyed the visit (10 more minutes). After you enter your car, at least 5 more minutes wishing you a safe trip and ya’ll come back soon. In the South if you plan to leave someone’s home at a certain time, start 30 minutes ahead of time!

As those of you who read these blogs know, I’ve struggled these last few weeks with why Jesus had to die in such a painful way. He died for our sins, but couldn’t he have died without being flogged half to death and without the cruel tortures of crucifixion? His death was prophesied, yes, but how could a merciful God of love do nothing to prevent such a horrendous death for his Son. This Easter morning, God reminded me who clamored, actually demanded over and over, for Jesus to be crucified. The instigators were the religious authorities of the time and the common people. It was me!

Death was their job. The Roman soldiers who crucified Christ were hardened veterans who had crucified so many people, it had become a joke. They laughed at the sign over Jesus’ writhing body on the cross naming him king of the Jews. What irony, a king on a cross. They may not have understood his language when he asked God to forgive them, yet all that happened during that awful dark day made the centurion and others realize Jesus was special. Though they were pagan and worshiped many gods, they knew the events surrounding this man’s death were different from all the other crucifixions they had ever witnessed. Little did they realize through this one man’s death, death itself was conquered, and life eternal was made available to each of them and to all the rest of humanity.

Jesus had to die for us, but why did he have to be tortured to death? The penalty for sin is death, not torture. Yes, he was the Lamb of God, but when we look to the animal sacrifices Jesus replaced with his very life’s blood, the animals were killed swiftly and humanely. I’ve heard theologians’ various explanations why, but they contradict each other so all can’t be right. Psalm 22:14-18, Isaiah 52:14 and Isaiah 53:10-12 show what happened was prophesied. God’s thoughts are above our thoughts. Perhaps Jesus’ tortuous death was to relate to what his followers would and did experience throughout the ages. Our anxieties, our griefs and our sufferings are taken up and sanctified in his. Whatever the reason, I know his suffering was done out of love for us. That’s who Jesus is!

As I drink my unsweetened coffee each morning, I’m reminded again of the great love God has for me that he would sacrifice himself for me. He gave up everything to become a human baby and to live out a perfect life for me. I don’t deserve that. And I surely don’t deserve him taking on the physical and emotional pain he suffered, let alone the excruciating physical torture of crucifixion, all for me. I don’t even love myself that much! Resurrection Sunday is coming. It’s that yearly reminder of how much my Savior loves me. Many wonder about their purpose in life, who they really are and why, but I am loved by God! That’s who I am!

“Is Christ the priority in your life or the center of your life?” When someone asks me a question like that, I think, Wait. What? How do I answer that? Our pastor explained. If Christ is the priority in your life, when you get up, you pray and read your Bible or a devotional before you start your day. Then you go on to face your daily responsibilities, whether driving to work or weeding your garden or answering your mail. Christ is your priority. But if Christ is the center of your life, he’s not only in your designated prayer time, he’s also in the car with you on the way to work and with you weeding the garden and involved in answering your mail or whatever you’re doing. He’s the center of all you do, not just your first-thing-in-the-day priority.

What is the gospel? We know about the canonical gospels, three synoptic, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and then the fourth, John. We know they tell of the life of Jesus and his ministry and sacrifice while on this earth, and that the word gospel can be translated “good news.” Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom of God across Judea. He also called his followers to go and do the same throughout the world. But, as one who constantly writes about God and the gospel, I realize, with Christ living within us and us in him, the gospel is not only what we say (or write about), it’s also the life we live.

She was only 18 and she went missing. Along with so many others I prayed she would be found safe. Though I didn’t know her personally, her parents attended the university I once worked for. After many days, they found her remains buried in the desert. They have a suspect in custody. Why, Lord? It’s a fair question, as long as you realize God didn’t create robots. He created flesh and blood beings free to make choices, good or evil. Sex was created by God as a good gift, but for decades sex and sexual fantasies have been used to sell products. The old fashioned word chastity, for any reason, seems odd now. To think otherwise is not politically correct. Sexual promiscuousness is not new, of course, but now it’s acceptable, even preferable. The result is confusion, emotional pain and sexual abuse of all forms. Such horrifying news motivates me and I hope you to pray even more fervently for God’s Kingdom to fully come.

What is beautiful to you? What is considered beautiful varies among cultures and races. You only have to look at classic paintings or old movie star photos to see how what we see as beautiful changes in our world over time. But how does God view beauty? We can look at what he created and see so much beauty, but if we were the one creating we might not have come up with slithery snakes, slobbery hyenas, slimy leeches or the numerous other not-so-cute creatures in our world. Jesus was described physically as not a man noted for a handsome face. Yet Mother Teresa saw Jesus’ beauty in the faces of the dying, the sick and the destitute. I believe her vision of beauty may be much closer to God’s ideal than any of ours.