What does the Passion (Easter) week mean to you? Enjoying spring, getting together with family and friends, chocolate, bunnies and candy? All of those are enjoyable activities, but it is important to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that means for our lives. Christ gave us not only eternal life, forgiveness and freedom from sin and shame, but also hope for a new life because he lives.
Ann Voskamp eloquently writes about what Easter really means:
” yeah, you know when you get to feeling like a bit of a mess, like a bit of failure, like you could sometimes close a door & weep for your failures & sins & shortcomings & unspoken brokenness?
And this week, Jesus looks you right in the eye, and He takes that yoke off your back, He takes that weight off your mind, He takes that heaviness off your heart — and He carries it because He wants to carry you…. to carry you right through.
He looks you right in the eye & says, “I did it for love…” (Jn3:16)
He takes your hand & takes that crown of thorns & says, “I did it because I had to take you…” (Jn14:3)
He takes that Cross you’ve been carrying & He lets you walk weightless — *grace is weightless* — and He says, “I did it because I desperately wanted you…” (Ro.5:8)
Who in this world has ever wanted us like He has?”
Good counseling can do a lot to free us up from our burdens, struggles, pain and shame. However the best therapist cannot come accomplishing anything close to the freedom available in Christ.