Easter Sunday - God Love Reaches Toward Us

"For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life."
John 3:16 NIV

"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting men's sins against them.
And he has committed to us
the message of reconciliation."
2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV

On this Easter Sunday we reflect on the love of God which reaches for fallen humankind, and in the gift of Jesus Christ, provides for our eternal salvation.

The lyrics of the song "Reaching" by William J. and Gloria Gaither expresses God’s desire for us to be part of His kingdom and of His Provision to make that possible.

"Reaching"

"His love went on longing
And His love went on reaching,
Right past the shackles of my mind.
And the Word of the Father became Mary’s little Son
And His love reached all the way to where I was.

Longing, reaching,
Reaching and searching
And the longing and the reaching became Mary’s little Son
And His love reached all the way to where I was."
-- Copyright by William J. Gaither

Here on the YouTube the song is fervently presented by the Gaither Vocal Band – vocals by Guy Penrod, Wes Hampton and Marshall Hall; piano by Bill Gaither:

Clipart Dover.publications.com

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Easter Sabbath Rest

Easter Week highlights include Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. The culminating event for Good Friday is the burial of Jesus in Joseph’s tomb.

Here are a few depictions of that event in art works:

Source

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The week ends with the Saviour ceasing His work of redeeming lost mankind. He rested in the tomb, in the same way that as Creator He rested from six days labor in making the earth. This is expressed in the following liturgical selection:

"Today Thou dost keep holy the seventh day,
Which Thou has blessed of old by resting from Thy works.
Thou bringest all things into being and Thou makest all things new,
Observing the Sabbath rest, my Saviour, and restoring strength."

---Matins Canon of Holy and Great Saturday, Ode 4

Here is another reading on the significance of Christ's rest in the tomb:

"Great and Blessed Saturday"
"There finally came that "great and blessed Saturday" on March 18th, 34 A.D. - when the Only-begotten Son of God rested from all His deeds on earth. But there was no rest in Jerusalem: some were deprived of rest by their malice, while others could not rest because of heavy and oppressive sorrow.
"The enemies of Jesus continued to persecute Him even unto His grave, making sure to seal His tomb and putting guards around it.

Source

"At the same time the Lord’s disciples suffered great sorrow: for all of them, except John the Theologian, had abandoned their Master and were now finding out from others about His last days - how He was humiliated, how He suffered horribly on the cross.
Bitter tears were shed by the apostle Peter, who had renounced the One Whom he had promised to love even unto death."
---Adapted from the monthly readings of St. Dimitri of Rostov - Russian Orthodox Church Baltimore, Maryland USA

Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."
Revelation 15:4 NIV

And it shall come to pass,
that from one new moon to another,
and from one sabbath to another,
shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 66:23 KJV

Here is a painting by Jean-Jacques Henner, "Jesus at the Tomb" done in 1879:

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest,

he also hath ceased from his own works,

as God did from his.
Heb 4:9,10

The sadness experienced by the disciples of Jesus as He rested in the tomb on the Sabbath was followed by the joy of His resurrection and a new phase of His kingdom. May we all take part in His triumph over sin and death.

Contemplation For Good Friday

"Christ was treated as we deserve,
that we might be treated as He deserves.
He was condemned for our sins,
in which He had no share,
that we might be justified by His righteousness,
in which we had no share.
He suffered the death which was ours,
that we might receive the life which was His."
—The Desire of Ages, p. 25

All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:6

Clipart DoverPublications.com

Edited to add:
Here is a moving rendition of "Surely He Hath Borne Our Grief" from Young Messiah, sung by Larnelle Harris, Steve Green and Michael English.

Easter Joy

The Savior’s death between two thieves
enables us to see
That He comes to us right where we are,
Not where we’d like to be.


“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Jesus, Savior…
Thank you for becoming like us
That you might become for us
The perfect sacrifice,
The one true Savior
And eternal Lord.

Happy Easter!