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Have You Ever Read the Easter Story in This Unique Way?

Mar 30, 2015 | 20 comments

It’s Thursday night, April 2, 33 A.D.

The events are set in motion for a tumultuous weekend that will shake the world to its core.

The Passover supper is over.

I, Jesus, went to the Mount of Olives with a heavy heart. I knelt and prayed, knowing my time here is rapidly coming to an end.

After all, I came to Earth to die.

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done,” I pray.

I am in agony over My impending death, but it must be this way to fulfill the scriptures:

“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”

I heard my accusers approaching.

They are guided by one of my disciples, Judas Iscariot, who is about to betray me. His kiss on My cheek seared my skin like a hot iron.

I allowed the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders to seize Me and take Me to the home of the High Priest for questioning.

They were rough, agitated men. There, they mocked Me and beat Me, blow after blow after blow. They blindfolded Me and kept asking, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”

When day came, I was led to an assembly of the elders, chief priests, and scribes.

They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.”

I replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

They asked, “Are you the Son of God, then?”

I replied, “You say that I am.”

Their hatred for me reached fever pitch. I was beaten down and battered by a flurry of fists. The crowd spat on me.

Bloodied and bruised I was taken before the Roman authorities in Jerusalem. First Pilate, then Herod, and again back to Pilate, who wanted to release me.

But the crowd yelled all the louder, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

And so I was led away to be crucified, to be nailed to a cross in a most gruesome form of Roman execution.

But not before being pummeled with fists from Roman guards who put a crown of thorns on My head.

Their whips ripped into my back over and over again. I could barely see enough to walk. My eyes were nearly swollen shut from the beatings.

As I was scourged and nailed to the cross on that hill, the guards cast lots for my clothing and mocked Me, saying “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

There was also an inscription over Me, “This is the King of the Jews.”

In My excruciating pain, I cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

It was love that held Me to the cross, not the nails. It was love for you.

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

I, who had no sin, took on mankind’s sin, but at what cost?

It wasn’t just My life, but the despair of being separated from My Father, even for that brief time, who could not look upon sin.

I cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I was alone. I was in the maelstrom of mankind’s sinful darkness.

I yelled out, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” And having said this, I breathed My last.

I was wrapped in fine linen and buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.

But death could not hold Me, the grave could not keep Me.

When they came for Me on that third day, they found an empty tomb.

I had risen.

Glory be to God the Father!

I appeared to many over several days, including My disciples. But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

And I said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I. Touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

I led them out as far as Bethany, telling them to spread the gospel throughout the world.

Then I ascended to heaven, to be at the right hand of My Father, knowing that whosoever believes in Me shall have new life with Me.

(For the full account of Jesus’ Crucifixion, burial and Resurrection, read Luke 22 to 24).

3 Days That Shook the World

Jesus was born to die for man. God took on flesh to die on the cross, bearing our sin so that we may be free to lead good, fruitful lives in fellowship with Him.

His sacrifice saved mankind. It remains THE miracle in a life full of miracles.

Jesus has proven He is the Resurrection and the Life, that He is the bridge to a relationship with God.

Oh, Lord, that You would lead us to the cross where Your love poured out!

In John 14:6, Jesus acknowledges, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

In John 11:25, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

What the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Mean to You

Romans 6:4 tells us, “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

The death and resurrection of Christ mean a newness of life for all those who believe.

The resurrection proved Christ’s power to forgive sin.

1 Corinthians 15:17 asserts, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”

When you die to yourself and are reborn in Jesus, you have secured your victory over sin and death. You can claim the eternal life He offers.

John 3:16 is the embodiment of the Easter Weekend miracle and God’s sacrificial gift to man.

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Want to gain your freedom in God’s Son, Jesus Christ?

Want to loosen the shackles of envy, strife, and sin?

Want to reverse an aimless life by restoring your fellowship with God?

Romans 10:9 tells us, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

What is stopping you from asking Jesus into your life and claiming your eternal salvation?

Talk to God. Ask for forgiveness. Then become a miraculous child of God.

If you need help with what to say, here’s a simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I repent of my sins. I believe that You died on the cross for me. I believe you shed your precious blood for the forgiveness of my sin. And I believe that you rose on the third day and are in heaven preparing a place for me.

I accept you now as my Lord and Savior. I claim my eternal salvation in You. Come into my heart, Jesus, and be the Lord of my life. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

John 8:36 reminds us, “So if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.”

If you prayed that prayer and meant it with a sincere heart, then welcome to freedom.

20 Comments

  1. Peter Guirguis

    As I was reading your blog post Ani, I got very vivid images in my mind of what it was like for Jesus to go to the cross. Quite frankly, it wasn’t the most pleasant of images that came to my mind, and I found myself getting quite emotional.

    But the cross of Jesus Christ is a very emotional event, and I’m so thankful. Thank you, Ani for this wonderful blog post.

    Reply
    • Ani Ma'amin

      God’s love for us is a very moving event, I think, for all who believe. The Law is made flesh so that our sins can be forgiven through His sacrifice … truly an act of pure love.

      Reply
  2. Peter Guirguis

    As I was reading your blog post Ani, I got very vivid images in my mind of what it was like for Jesus to go to the cross. Quite frankly, it wasn’t the most pleasant of images that came to my mind, and I found myself getting quite emotional.

    But the cross of Jesus Christ is a very emotional event, and I’m so thankful. Thank you, Ani for this wonderful blog post.

    Reply
    • Ani Ma'amin

      God’s love for us is a very moving event, I think, for all who believe. The Law is made flesh so that our sins can be forgiven through His sacrifice … truly an act of pure love.

      Reply
  3. Anonymous

    I agree Peter, it is a very emotional event, between Father and Son, and in our case, between sons and daughters and our Father in heaven.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous

    I agree Peter, it is a very emotional event, between Father and Son, and in our case, between sons and daughters and our Father in heaven.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    Justice is getting what we deserve; mercy is not getting what we deserve but grace; His gift (charis in the Greek) expressed in His literal exceeding loving kindness to us, giving us through His unwarranted, unmerited favour the ultimate gift and “bargooon” that mankind has the opportunity to receive, eternal life with Him!!! We are saved by His grace through faith and this is not of yourselves and not by works so that no man can boast and this grace and faith is the ultimate gift of God through the Holy Spirit Ephesian 2:8-9 paraphrased. Please, please, please do not refuse this gift but receive it and go forward with the awesome knowledge that “you are God’s workmanship (work of art, master piece, person of notable character), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”! Eph 2:10 The Lord promises “in all things He will work for the good of those who agape love Him “Romans 8:28. Your life will have true eternal merit and purpose!! I pray that with the knowledge and awareness that “God is working in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure (pleasing Him) that you will be obedient to all His commands and prove your genuine agape love for Him by so doing!!! I pray that you will understand in this seemingly hopeless world that once you are genuinely Born Again Spiritually through the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit that “hope does not disappoint you because He (His Holy Spirit) has poured out His agape (highest spiritual plane of selfless, sacrificial unconditional) love into you” Romans 5:5!!! When you come to know (experientially) this agape love you will have arrived and now be able “to be filled to the stature of the measure of all His fullness”!!!!!!!! It just does not getting any better than that!!!!!! How cooool is it that “In Christ you now will be able to do immeasurable more (exceedingly abundantly) beyond what you could even hope or imagine according to His mighty power that works in and through you, for HIS GLORY” Eph 3″14-22!!!!!!!!!!! I know experientially that there is nothing coooooler and more fulfilling than experiencing Christ’s loving life being expressed and lived through us on a daily surrendered basis!!!!!!!!!!!! What I find most fulfilling is that I now can love the Lord my Eternal Bridegroom I am betrothed to, the way that satisfies and fulfills Him and in the way He so richly deserves to be agaped; with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and that I now can be an instrument of His agape sacrificial, unconditional love to this world; loving my neighbour as myself!!!!!!!! I am still aware of there and mine but can now agape them and myself in spite of their and my sin!!!!! The Lord is so enriched and blessed when “as His dearly loved child I live a life of agape love” Ephesians 5:1!!!!!!!!!
    My closing pray for you reading this is that “you being rooted and established in His agape love may have power with all the saints to know the height, width, breadth and depth of the agape sacrificial, unconditional love the Lord proved towards you on the humbling, excruciating cross of Calvary. Jesus exclaimed “no greater love has a man than he lay his life down for His friends”. He is the best most faithful friend over these past 37 years I have ever known and I willingly choose to reciprocate my friendship to Him and my brothers and hope you will choose to do the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Abundant blessings as you celebrate the victory and that the sting of death has been dealt with as you put this day aside in reverent agape love, appreciation and adoration of Him!!! Please, please, please choose to be obedient, agape loving empowered by the Holy Spirit to bless the “living” socks off our Bridegroom, the Living Hope today and everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Pastor “Hallelujah” Hal

    Reply
    • ani maamin (@animaamin1)

      Thanks for your comments, “Pastor Hal.” Do all to the glory of God and you will be richly blessed.

      Reply
  6. Anonymous

    Justice is getting what we deserve; mercy is not getting what we deserve but grace; His gift (charis in the Greek) expressed in His literal exceeding loving kindness to us, giving us through His unwarranted, unmerited favour the ultimate gift and “bargooon” that mankind has the opportunity to receive, eternal life with Him!!! We are saved by His grace through faith and this is not of yourselves and not by works so that no man can boast and this grace and faith is the ultimate gift of God through the Holy Spirit Ephesian 2:8-9 paraphrased. Please, please, please do not refuse this gift but receive it and go forward with the awesome knowledge that “you are God’s workmanship (work of art, master piece, person of notable character), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”! Eph 2:10 The Lord promises “in all things He will work for the good of those who agape love Him “Romans 8:28. Your life will have true eternal merit and purpose!! I pray that with the knowledge and awareness that “God is working in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure (pleasing Him) that you will be obedient to all His commands and prove your genuine agape love for Him by so doing!!! I pray that you will understand in this seemingly hopeless world that once you are genuinely Born Again Spiritually through the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit that “hope does not disappoint you because He (His Holy Spirit) has poured out His agape (highest spiritual plane of selfless, sacrificial unconditional) love into you” Romans 5:5!!! When you come to know (experientially) this agape love you will have arrived and now be able “to be filled to the stature of the measure of all His fullness”!!!!!!!! It just does not getting any better than that!!!!!! How cooool is it that “In Christ you now will be able to do immeasurable more (exceedingly abundantly) beyond what you could even hope or imagine according to His mighty power that works in and through you, for HIS GLORY” Eph 3″14-22!!!!!!!!!!! I know experientially that there is nothing coooooler and more fulfilling than experiencing Christ’s loving life being expressed and lived through us on a daily surrendered basis!!!!!!!!!!!! What I find most fulfilling is that I now can love the Lord my Eternal Bridegroom I am betrothed to, the way that satisfies and fulfills Him and in the way He so richly deserves to be agaped; with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and that I now can be an instrument of His agape sacrificial, unconditional love to this world; loving my neighbour as myself!!!!!!!! I am still aware of there and mine but can now agape them and myself in spite of their and my sin!!!!! The Lord is so enriched and blessed when “as His dearly loved child I live a life of agape love” Ephesians 5:1!!!!!!!!!
    My closing pray for you reading this is that “you being rooted and established in His agape love may have power with all the saints to know the height, width, breadth and depth of the agape sacrificial, unconditional love the Lord proved towards you on the humbling, excruciating cross of Calvary. Jesus exclaimed “no greater love has a man than he lay his life down for His friends”. He is the best most faithful friend over these past 37 years I have ever known and I willingly choose to reciprocate my friendship to Him and my brothers and hope you will choose to do the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Abundant blessings as you celebrate the victory and that the sting of death has been dealt with as you put this day aside in reverent agape love, appreciation and adoration of Him!!! Please, please, please choose to be obedient, agape loving empowered by the Holy Spirit to bless the “living” socks off our Bridegroom, the Living Hope today and everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Pastor “Hallelujah” Hal

    Reply
    • ani maamin (@animaamin1)

      Thanks for your comments, “Pastor Hal.” Do all to the glory of God and you will be richly blessed.

      Reply
  7. Gary M

    I am frequently advised by Christians that in order for me to see the truth about their claim of the supernatural resurrection of Jesus I must read a particular Christian apologist’s book. They tell me that if I read the Christian apologist’s book with a fair and open mind (praying to the Holy Spirit for “guidance” wouldn’t hurt either), I will see that the Resurrection really did happen, just as the Bible says it did.

    But, if someone told you that unicorns exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a “unicorn expert’s” book to know for sure that unicorns do not exist?

    If someone told you that leprechauns exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a “leprechaun expert’s” book to know for sure that leprechauns do not exist?

    If someone told you that ghosts, goblins, and ghouls exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a “ghost, goblin, and ghoul expert’s” book to know for sure that ghosts, goblins, and ghouls do not exist?

    If someone told you that a first century dead man was resurrected from the dead and walked out of his grave with a superhero body and that you should believe in him, would you need to read a “resurrected dead superhero expert’s” book to know for sure that superheroes do not exist nor do they walk out of their graves?

    If someone told you that, true, dead men do not walk out of their graves with superhero bodies, but ancient, middle-eastern gods can and have walked out of their graves with superhero bodies, would you need to read a “resurrected ancient middle-eastern god expert’s” book to know for sure that ancient, middle-eastern gods do not, and have not, walked out of their graves?

    Use your brain, folks.

    Of the thousands of supernatural claims that have been made in the entire history of mankind, not one supernatural claim has ever been substantiated with solid evidence, only with “faith”, which is just another word for…superstition!

    Reply
  8. Gary M

    I am frequently advised by Christians that in order for me to see the truth about their claim of the supernatural resurrection of Jesus I must read a particular Christian apologist’s book. They tell me that if I read the Christian apologist’s book with a fair and open mind (praying to the Holy Spirit for “guidance” wouldn’t hurt either), I will see that the Resurrection really did happen, just as the Bible says it did.

    But, if someone told you that unicorns exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a “unicorn expert’s” book to know for sure that unicorns do not exist?

    If someone told you that leprechauns exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a “leprechaun expert’s” book to know for sure that leprechauns do not exist?

    If someone told you that ghosts, goblins, and ghouls exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a “ghost, goblin, and ghoul expert’s” book to know for sure that ghosts, goblins, and ghouls do not exist?

    If someone told you that a first century dead man was resurrected from the dead and walked out of his grave with a superhero body and that you should believe in him, would you need to read a “resurrected dead superhero expert’s” book to know for sure that superheroes do not exist nor do they walk out of their graves?

    If someone told you that, true, dead men do not walk out of their graves with superhero bodies, but ancient, middle-eastern gods can and have walked out of their graves with superhero bodies, would you need to read a “resurrected ancient middle-eastern god expert’s” book to know for sure that ancient, middle-eastern gods do not, and have not, walked out of their graves?

    Use your brain, folks.

    Of the thousands of supernatural claims that have been made in the entire history of mankind, not one supernatural claim has ever been substantiated with solid evidence, only with “faith”, which is just another word for…superstition!

    Reply
  9. ani maamin (@animaamin1)

    Gary, I wouldn’t ask you to read anyone’s book other than the Bible with an open mind and an open heart. I won’t even pretend to lecture you on how many people saw the Jesus after His death on the cross. If you are willing, and if you are open to the moving of God in your life, you will discover the truth. Jesus Christ is life.

    Reply
  10. ani maamin (@animaamin1)

    Gary, I wouldn’t ask you to read anyone’s book other than the Bible with an open mind and an open heart. I won’t even pretend to lecture you on how many people saw the Jesus after His death on the cross. If you are willing, and if you are open to the moving of God in your life, you will discover the truth. Jesus Christ is life.

    Reply
  11. M Van Wyk

    This is so awesome. I just want to know if I can read it on air. Friday morning the 14th of April. Rainbow Gospel Radio at 6 am. South Africa time. I want to tell the story and you did it so good. I will give you credit. Please let me know. JESUS THE ONLY ONE TRUE KING.

    Reply
    • AniMaamin

      absolutely read it. It’s all about Jesus! God bless!

      Reply
  12. M Van Wyk

    This is so awesome. I just want to know if I can read it on air. Friday morning the 14th of April. Rainbow Gospel Radio at 6 am. South Africa time. I want to tell the story and you did it so good. I will give you credit. Please let me know. JESUS THE ONLY ONE TRUE KING.

    Reply
    • AniMaamin

      absolutely read it. It’s all about Jesus! God bless!

      Reply
  13. Ophelia S

    Such a beautiful post. Thank you. Praise Jesus.

    Reply
  14. Ophelia S

    Such a beautiful post. Thank you. Praise Jesus.

    Reply

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