We are mere days away from April 5th, when will celebrate the holiday known as Easter.

Yes, I know the busy schedule this probably entails for many of you: running to every store in town to find the perfect Easter outfit, rehearsing the play or musical at church, organizing an egg hunt for the kids, and planning the dinner after Resurrection Sunday service.

For those of us who have been raised in the church, we have heard the story of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection since before we could walk. We grew up singing “Jesus Paid It All” and coloring pictures of the cross in Sunday School. We are familiar with the story of Calvary. And sometimes, it becomes so familiar to us that we forget the magnitude of it. Perhaps we are even guilty of letting it become commonplace in our eyes.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve tried to consciously recall the magnitude of the sacrifice Jesus gave. Beyond the terrible physical pain, imagine the load of the sins of the entire world that rested upon His shoulders…Sins that he had never committed. Surely the guilt and shame of it was harder to bear than even the searing wounds in His flesh. Thankfully, we know it didn’t end there. We know that He rose three days later, with the victory over death, hell, and the grave. And because of what He did, we can have victory over sin.

Isn’t it humbling to think that God Himself would extend such love to us, in all of our brokenness? Isn’t it amazing that He would freely offer us the gift of salvation? On our own, we can feel worthless and ashamed. But remember, He did it for me….He did it for you. Not because we deserve it, but because of His grace. There is no greater love than that.

Let’s not go through the motions this weekend. Let’s celebrate what Easter is truly about.

Let’s intentionally remember.

image: Arts Angle