Have you Died Yet?

   You know how hard it is to follow the saying “treat others as you want to be treated?” I know I do; and I know that, even though it is hard to follow, I still say it to my students every week. It is hard to treat others the way you want to be treated because sometimes people don’t treat you the way you want to be treated. You could do the nicest things for someone and he still may not treat you the right way. But, we are still called to be kind to others.

   At this point you are probably wondering what exactly this post has to do with Easter. Well, I hear my students say things like: “that’s not fair” or, “why should I be nice to her if she is mean to me?” Since I am in a public school I cannot say this answer: "because Jesus was still kind and loving to others."

   Jesus is our ultimate role model. He did something that no one else could do. He made it possible to be with God. He loved us enough to die for our sins. He was whipped, beaten, mocked, had thorns put on his head, and nails put through his hands and feet. And you know who did that to him? We did. You may be saying “I wasn’t there so how could I do that to him?” Well, you did do it to him. Because of your sinful nature you are dead. You belong to the Devil and deserve everything you get in Hell. But, because Jesus died we have life. We become dead to our sins when we accept Christ into our hearts; and he washes us clean as snow. We become born-again.

   That is exactly what I was getting at when I said we don’t treat others the way we want to be treated. I mean, would you want to be sacrificed on the cross for nothing you did wrong? I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t; and yet, because of your sin Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed for your sins. He didn’t have to do it. But, he did because that’s how much he loves us. Sometimes I feel as if we don’t grasp the torture that Jesus put himself through on our account. We just think as the events in the Bible as quaint little stories that we tell to children and hear about a few times every year. But, they are so much more.

   So, on this Easter I encourage you to think about the gravity of what Jesus went through for you. Are you thankful that he went through that for you? Are you following his example and treating others the way you want to be treated?

   1 Peter 3:18, 1 John 3:16, Isaiah 1:18