One of my favorite childhood memories was the hunt, not for Easter eggs, but for Easter egg baskets my mother had prepared for my two sisters, my brother, and myself. Every year, through the end of high school, mom would carefully assemble baskets filled with chocolate bunnies, little “peeps,” and of course spiritual keepsakes, like a Cross necklace, Bible study devotional, or other meaningful treasure. Mom would help us track down the baskets. She would say, “Getting warm…cold…getting colder…warmer…hot…very hot!” Finally, we would find the baskets. Mine was always wrapped in pink cellophane and was a little heavy on the chocolate side!
Jesus teaches us how to find Him in a similar way. He is living mysteriously and yet in total abundance, in your heart, if you have asked Him to save you, if you have acknowledged Him as God, the King of your very being, Master over your life. While Jesus walked the earth, just before the 1st century, he set in motion what we celebrate today as Easter or Resurrection Day. Going about his daily life, fulfilling His heavenly Father’s will, Jesus always kept His eye on the ball. One day, He visited a family that He had been reaching out to, the family of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. Here we meet Jesus at the hour of this family’s greatest anguish, the death of Lazarus.
The Apostle John draws the curtain for us to see Jesus’ encounter with them in the book of the Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 18-28, of the Holy Bible:
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”
Jesus is calling you and everyone in the world to believe in Him- even when believing seems the hardest thing to do.
What is Jesus whispering to you these days about your faith?
Are you “getting warm…cold…getting colder…warmer…hot…very hot?”
This Easter, celebrate the Resurrection Jesus has done in you!
Celebrate what He has done through the life of all those you love!
Celebrate the reality that Easter happens every day as Jesus renews you with all that you could ever need for each moment that you are alive!
Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!
We are blessed!
I love you with the holy love of our Savior, Jesus.
In Jesus’ Resurrection Power,
Sister Vanessa
Life at Caldwell Brethren Church 