Easter

So it's Easter Sunday tommorow and that's got me thinking. What do we think of when we think of Easter? I know that for me, most of my life it was a one-two punch of candy and Jesus. And while I always knew of the importance of Jesus' death and resurrection, but I don't think I ever realized the absolute neccessity for it.


It's interesting to think of the fact that God set up a system previous to Jesus' coming that we couldn't live up to. There were so many laws set up that no flaw-full human could ever live up to them. We would have to make atonement through animals to cover our sins. The point of this was, we could never live up to the perfection set forth by God without messing up one of the laws. Where there were sins there had to be an atonement made for sins through a blood sacrifice. This scripture says it well:


Romans 8:2-4
2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

The law was weakened by sinful nature. It could never fully direct the israelites attention towards God and over time these things became more about rituals than actual acts unto God.


Hebrews 10

1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.'

"8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


Without a savior (Jesus) coming and making the once and for all sacrifice, we would still be under the Law of Moses and never free from our sins.

Thank you Jesus for your death, resurrection, and the freedom it offers!