Jesus Made His Choice

Jesus Made His Choice

          Easter Celebration. You are ready to go to the Easter Sunday sunrise service at your place of worship and hear again the marvelous story of how God sent His son, Jesus, to earth to shed His blood on the cross as atonement for our sins. Our sins are forgiven and Jesus rose from the dead and aren’t we grateful! We gave up meat or chocolate or coffee for lent to prove how much we care. We will listen intently to the sermon, go home, have a big dinner, and it is over until next year.

          Little wonder that the lady wanted “Easter Celebration” removed from the school calendar. “It should be replaced with ‘Spring Break’. Easter is no longer a religious holiday.” I feel that she has a point. Showing off our new spring outfit gets more attention than what Jesus came to teach. Most of us have left Jesus hanging on the cross.

          Have you ever deeply wondered why God sent Jesus to die on the cross, as most religions teach? I have. I’ve wondered why God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham would have too, except that God, at the last minute, prevented it. I wondered, if blood sacrifice was so important to God, why did Jesus set the sacrificial animals free and over throw the money tables in the temple? Pretty violent for a man of peace in a holy place.

          I wonder why God would prize the blood flowing from the nail holes and the wound, where a soldier pierced His side, more than when it was flowing through His young healthy body? God created the blood in Jesus’ veins. If God wanted or needed blood, it would be no problem. God could create an ocean of blood. There must be another explanation.

          First we must know that God is not a man, is not a woman, not a mist, a myth, a form, a ghost, a superstition, or a legend. Although there is a lot of misinformation and beliefs swirling around Him. God is Spirit: filling all time and all space. God is the Only Living Creator, who created all things and all things Good. He is our Father-Mother-God. So much more than we can comprehend.

          Christ is the Spiritual Son of God: an original; a perfect replica of the Father. The template, if you will, of what man can and should be; and someday will be and in Spiritual Reality is now.

          Jesus, a baby born of a woman, with no human father. A human being like us. Our brother in every sense of the word. None of us would be here if our heavenly Father had not created us. God is not dependent on two humans to form a life. All life belongs to God.

          Having said all of that-where in the Bible are we told that God sent Jesus to die for our sins? Jesus, the man, was tempted by Satan. Wasn’t it more arguing with himself, His own doubts? He knew that people would hate him. Maybe He would be the king the Jews expected, be rich, waited on and respected. Jesus made His choice. He wanted to tell His brothers and sisters of our Father’s love.

          Jesus said, “For this cause came I into the world.” I translate this to mean, to teach men how to live a healthy, happy life, which is what He did.

          “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whomsoever believed on Him shall not parish but have everlasting life.” No death threat there.

          Jesus said, God is the God of the living, not the dead.” Would a God of the living send a man for the express purpose to die?

          Jesus forgave sins. “Go and sin no more.” “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” But God needs the blood of a sacrifice before He can forgive?

          We are all born with a conscience. Jesus listened and obeyed His. We tend to drown ours out. Jesus was becoming so spiritual that His body was beginning to glow. If He had ascended before his death- no one would believe that He was “one of us.” We would have sworn that He was different than us. We wouldn’t know that we can do what He did and more if we would believe. the promises Jesus made us. “Know ye not that ye are Gods?”

          737 words  Loretta Ellen Edwards