emery@fluke.UUCP (John Emery) (03/26/86)
Hello everyone,
Easter being on its way, I thought it might be a good
time to reflect on what the death and resurrection of
our Lord means to us individually. Of course, we all
know what it means, but sometimes expressing it in our
own words brings out the feelings in our hearts.
It is at the times when the frustration of my humaness
overcomes me that I can look towards my Father and know
that because Jesus died for me that He does not see my
flesh but the Spirit of his Son and the righteousness of
his sinless life. In my sorrow, I must realize that
often my heart is split in two, half serving God and half
serving my flesh. And only in the knowledge of Jesus'
death for my sins can I go on serving my Father without
being defeated by my guilt.
My Lord's death is also my example. It reminds my just
how much Jesus gave up for me. When I stand before my
heavenly Father, I have a notion that my love for Jesus
will really explode as I learn in a way that I am now not
able just how much he did give up for me. With this in
mind, I have in my heart the desire to give of myself
by taking up my cross and not living for myself but for him
by making him the most important thing in my life and
serving others in his name.
His resurrection for me means my resurrection, not only
my bodily resurrection in the future, but my spritiual
resurrection now. It means for me the glory of growing
in his likeness as I let him live in me. It means for
me the joy of going beyond the pages of his earthly life
to having communion with him now and forever to come. It
means being able to be with him in spirit and being comforted
by his presence. It means receiving the Holy Spirit that he
earned for me. The Spirit that shares everything that belongs
to Jesus with me: his joy, his peace, his love, his strength,
his mind, his presence, and his righteousness. The Spirit that
gives me a new heart, that transforms my spirit, that gives
me a new life and makes me an adopted son of the living God.
May the joy of the resurrection life be yours,
John Emery
--
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!emery
"...and if have faith that can move mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2
"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest
of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13