13 results for tag: Easter

Because He Lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,Because He lives, all fear is gone;Because I know He holds the future,And life is worth the living,Just because He lives! Because He Lives, Bill and Gloria Gaither Never did the resurrection bring such comfort to my weary heart as when I first found out that my baby’s heart had stopped beating. I was suddenly faced with the reality of death and all that it had stripped me of—all of the firsts and all the memories that would never be experienced, the innocence and care-free naivety of pregnancy, and the sense of “completeness” for our family. Something—someone—would always be missing. Fear and ...

The Wonderful Cross

Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful CrossBids me come and die and find that I may truly liveOh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful CrossAll who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name The Wonderful Cross, Chris Tomlin The cross is heart-wrenching and bloody. It is shameful and full of rejection. It is painful, and terrifying, and yet so beautiful. This day that we call “Good Friday” is the day that God watched His only Son die. Our God can and does empathize with us in our sorrow, because He has felt it too. That cross—it is heart-wrenching and bloody. It is shameful and full of rejection. It is painful, and terrifying, and ...

Darkness Has Not Overcome the Light

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to Him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” John 20:15-16 When Mary Magdalene first recognized the risen Christ, she spoke the word Rabboni, Teacher, a word of personal knowledge and a word of submission. “Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any ...

The Day Jesus Died

Directly in front of me were church members standing to read the account of the crucifixion that Good Friday. I was dressed in black—something to outwardly signify my setting aside time to think of the day my Jesus had died. But I didn’t want to listen as the Scripture readers gave voice to the stripes, the crown of thorns, and the cross at “The Place of a Skull.” Stuck to my chair, I diverted eye contact from the readers—looking through vision soft and wet to the wall at my right. Some weeks have passed between that day and this one—sitting down with the account of Jesus’ death for this series. I still don’t want to look because I ...

Because He Lives

“And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” -Revelation 21:5 Go back and read that verse again and again and again.  Our Great God is making ALL things new.  This, dear one, is the message of Easter.  This is what we have to look forward to.  This is the hope we have been given through the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Everything will be new and perfect.  Nothing will be damaged or spoiled or blemished by the darkness of sin.  The splendor of heaven is truly beyond the scope of our comprehension.  And anything less magnificent and unfathomable wouldn’t be heaven, would it? ...

Cling to the Cross

Death has shaken your soul to its core. Mine too. When I first heard the words, “I’m sorry, there’s no heartbeat,” it seemed like my life was being siphoned out of me. I strained to take in each new breath of air, and as I looked up at the monitor, staring at the stillness of my baby, I felt as though I was watching someone else’s nightmare unfold before my eyes.  In that moment, death seemed to consume me. The death of your child is an excruciating heartache that alters the course of your life.  There may be times when it seems as though you are being crushed and overcome by the weight of death. Perhaps you feel as if you will never ...

Because He Lives: We Have Been Given New Life

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”1 Peter 1:3-4 READ: As mothers who have endured the loss of a beloved child, it can feel impossible to come out from under death’s dark shadow. Perhaps, for you, that shadow includes pregnancy announcements and invitations to baby showers that prick the scars left behind by loss. Or maybe it’s the nursery that stands frozen in time, a ...

Easter Mourning

Never did the resurrection bring such comfort to my weary heart as when I first found out that my baby’s heart had stopped beating. I was suddenly faced with the reality of death and all that it had stripped me of—all of the firsts and all the memories that would never be experienced, the innocence and care-free naivety of pregnancy, and the sense of “completeness” for our family. Something—someone—would always be missing. Fear and anxiety now had greater access to my heart through the terrible wound that was opened in the wake of my child’s death. Grief would now be my faithful companion for the rest of my weary days on earth.&nb...

Consider the Cross

As mothers who have heard the words, “there is no heartbeat,” who have held the lifeless body of their precious baby, or who have watched their child take their final breath, the cross tells us that we are not alone. This day that we call “Good Friday” is the day that God watched His only Son die. Our God can and does empathize with us in our sorrow, because He has felt it too.  That cross—it is heart-wrenching and bloody. It is shameful and full of rejection. It is painful, and terrifying, and yet so beautiful. When I begin to think about what my Savior endured on that cross for me, my soul weighs heavy. It is never easy to linger ...

20 Truths to Know about Jesus’ Triumph

In “One Unique Death Proclaimed,” posted on Good Friday, I write that Jesus does not brush past me in grief or scurry my wounds to patched-up, peripheral healing. Rather, Jesus addresses the core of my pain. Today, on Easter Sunday, I want to expound via twenty truths about Jesus’ triumph over sin and death:  Death affects all mankind, so we are wise to study in Scripture how it originated, what implications it has upon this present life, and what happens following it: “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart&#...