Michala Woodruff

Got any plans for Easter? I usually wake up early and have a breakfast at church with a special service. But here’s my question: why? As a writer, “why?” is a question I ask my characters and plots many times. Why do this? Why not go there? Why be fearful? Why have joy? Why. . .? You get it. So, as Easter rises upon us, why?

We would not have Easter without Good Friday. We would not have any of this without Christmas. We would not have Christmas without creation.

Like all stories, let us start from the beginning–“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). In six days, God spoke light and darkness, fish and birds, winds and seas, land and creatures, and, well, yes, everything into existence. Then, God formed (not speak but formed) humanity after His Own image, meaning that we have intellect, creativity, morals, emotion, will, and so on (different from a rat, for sure, and their DNA is the closest to ours’). On the seventh day, God rested. A lot can happen in seven days!

Don’t worry. This isn’t a rabbit trail. You see, God gave humanity one rule. Simple, right? Mmmm . . .

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people [no one being able to stop it or escape its power], because they all sinned.” Romans 5:12.

Ever tell a lie? Ever steal something? Ever take God’s name in vain? Ever disobey your parent? Sadly, me too. Because of our sin, we fall short to God’s standard of holiness. He is pure, 100% good, and thus, cannot allow sin into Heaven. Sin splits our relationship with God and destines us for death, for the Lake of Fire when we die.

How depressing! Because God gave us freewill and we chose to disobey Him, our sin has now doomed us for the Lake of Fire. No good works can overweigh the bad. Because the bad is always still there. Think of it like a stain. You can cover it, scrub it, light it, paint over it, or even put more mud on it. But guess what? The stain is still a stain. And, yep, it’s still there.

“For just as through one man’s disobedience [his failure to hear, his carelessness] the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one Man the many will be made righteous and acceptable to God and brought into right standing with Him.” Romans 5:19.

Only one thing can wash out the stain of sin. It must be someone perfect and sinless while someone who is also human. Any guesses? [Hint: Christmas].

Jesus Christ is the only One Who can wash humanity’s sin away. The first human made us sinners, but Christ makes us righteous. Because He took our place.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

The price of our sin is death. There is no possible way we can save ourselves from this! God knows this. So, He offers a gift.

“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

God loved you so much that He sent Jesus Christ [100% God and 100% man] to come take your punishment. He nailed that lie, that stolen thing, that dirty word, that disobedience, that _____ (you fill in the blank, can be ANYTHING–seriously, no sin is bigger than God) to the cross.

What’s a cross? It was a Roman death that was invented to hang criminals for everyone to see. The criminals usually stayed alive for days, slowly losing breath. Each time to breathe they’d have to lift themselves up, scraping their backs against the wood and ripping their wrists in which nails were driven in. In his article “Rare Evidence for Roman Crucifixion Found in Second-Century Britain”, Nathan Steinmeyer “The heels would have been nailed to either side of the cross. This would not have been to position the body, but rather to prevent the victim from being able to lift themselves with their feet” (para. 6, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/rare-evidence-for-roman-crucifixion). In short, it was bad!

A lot can happen in 7 days! Jesus rode into Jerusalem, celebrated the Passover, was betrayed by a friend, had an unfair trial, died on a cross, stayed buried for 3 days, and rose back to life again. What a week!

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9.

Jesus Christ died in our place and conquered death. He now offers all of humanity the gift of Salvation–a personal relationship with Him as the Holy Spirit (God–one with the Father and Jesus Christ) lives within our hearts and go to Heaven for ever and ever.

And ever.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

So, why do you do Easter? Because Jesus Christ took our place and rose from the dead, so that we can be saved from the Lake of Fire and have a personal relationship with our Creator.

Will you accept the gift?

This Easter, I am reflecting on the moment that I asked God to forgive me of my sins and save me. He has been with me through every step. He is my best friend!

In the next 7 days, in fact, for the rest of our lives, let us seek to know God more personally until we see Him face to face.

Additional Research:

• Up from the Grave He Arose . . . | Answers in Genesis
• Crucifixion | Description, History, Punishment, & Jesus | Britannica
• How Was A Crucifixion Performed? | Bible Reading Archeology
• Knowing You’re Saved | Answers in Genesis

Please, don’t hesitate to ask any questions or even share your own testimony or Easter plans! You can comment below or simply email me (Contact). I’d love to hear from you! Happy Easter!