An Easter Reflection

This is a bit late but I'd like to share it with you. Be blessed.:)

            When I was a kid, I didn’t really understand the essence of Easter. Some kids would look forward to the Easter Egg Hunt while I understood that it’s part of the Lenten Season. That’s it and nothing else!

            I always hear the same message every year. I thought it was just a mere tradition until I stopped at knowing Easter and started understanding its real purpose. It wasn’t just a random scene when Jesus chose to let Mary Magdalene witness His resurrection first before His disciples. The message was clear and shocking. Jesus came not for the holy and righteous but for the sinners who need His healing and forgiveness. This really meant a lot to me.

            Easter Sunday, specifically, ties the need of Christ’s existence here on earth. He needed to be born to accomplish His mission- to save us from our sins. On Easter Sunday, everything makes sense.Jesus Christ needed to live like us and with us to reveal God to humanity. He levelled Himself to us just to let us feel that He is one with us in our journey here on earth. It was God’s way of saying, “You are worth-knowing and you are worth-loving.”

            When I was a little bit older, I came to realize a very sad fact that the Author of Life, the Creator of all things, the Lord of all lords, the King of all kings, the Perfect One, the Sinless, and our One True God had to live a very humble and simple life, did every good thing here on earth and only ended up getting crucified, persecuted, and was treated like a thief. He did not deserve them all but He allowed Himself to be sentenced to death. It made me cry because I recognized similar scenes in my life. He was so good to me but I chose to move away from Him. He was so kind and loving but I wasn’t reciprocating. He gave up everything for me but I didn’t care. I felt like I was Pontius Pilate at the time who gave in to the crowd’s wishes. I didn’t listen to that still small voice that wanted me to do the right thing and instead, did otherwise. In short, I was at many times in my life, a coward. In spite of my cowardice, He said to me, “You did not choose Me. I chose you. You are worth-loving. That’s why I gave up My life to save you.”

            Another thing that hit me is the fact that God allowed Himself to die on the cross even if by all means He could save Himself. He is Almighty but He allowed those terrible things to happen to Him. He chose to humble Himself for humanity’s sake. He seemed to be defeated when He died but He showed us victory when He rose from the dead on the third day. That scene gives me a sense of hope that in the midst of difficulties, there’s a hidden gift of victory.

            Jesus has left His footprints of Christianity. A big challenge for each one of us is to be like Him here on earth. We don’t need to be crucified just to prove our worth. In our simple acts of kindness and compassion to others, we live up to the very essence of Christianity and we continue to be His hands and feet on earth so that our lives may be a perfect example of Easter Sunday- one that makes sense and ties the need of our existence.