The Hope of Easter

The Hope of Easter 
April 3, 2015

Billy Graham, in his daily devotional, Wisdom For Each Day, enlightens us on this subject:

The cross was the only way to resolve the problem of sin. Sin must be punished. If God were simply to forgive our sins without judging them, then there would be no justice, no accountability for wrongdoing. God would not be truly holy and just.

          But if God were simply to judge us fro our sins as we deserve, there would be no hope of 
          salvation for any of us. His love would have failed to provide what we need. 

At the cross God's love and justice came together. Jesus took the punishment we deserved, and now we are clothed in His perfect righteousness. Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane...and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Matthew 26:36-37

          On that first Easter morning, something happened that had never happened before in the history
          of the human race-and would never happen again: someone came back from the dead, never
          to die again...
          Jesus' resurrection also tells us that there is life beyond the grave. This world is not all there is;
          when we die, we continue to live-either in the place of utter darkness the Bible calls Hell or in
          the place of endless joy the Bible calls Heaven. And now Jesus has opened the way to Heaven
          for us, by His death and resurrection. Because Jesus rose from the dead, death has been
          defeated and Heaven awaits us.

          I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies;  
          and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. John 11:25-26

          Did you know that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to you and me
          today? The moment we receive Jesus as Savior, the Holy spirit comes into our hearts. He give
          us supernatural power to overcome temptations, to smile through tears, to experience joy
          despite life's burdens and trials. The Holy Spirit will raise you from the mundane, the
          monotonous, the hopeless; He will raise you out of your spiritual lifelessness and transform
          you.

          [May you know] His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the
          working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raise Him from the
          dead.  Ephesians 1:19-20

Praying for all to have a wonderful weekend as we celebrate the
resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My hope is placed in Jesus for all eternity. May we share the hope that is within us with those who do not understand nor have it.

Linda