I Scream Crucify Him. So Do You.

     Easter has long been my favorite holiday. Many might agree that it seems to usher in freshness with spring, flowers, dresses, and sandals welcoming all out of the dreary winter. However, the reality is Easter brings so much more. Easter is the reminder and celebration that God sent his son Jesus to die a horrific, torturous, gruesome, and painful death so that you and I might know we are loved, wanted, needed, and welcomed to more. We were handed victory, simplicity, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and purpose as Jesus died, defeated Satan, and rose again to be our living breathing king.

God loved you and I so deeply he sent his son to be a billboard, banner message of that love. When asked how much he loved us Jesus stretched his arms out wide and nailed them into position. An open invitation of acceptance and welcoming. YOU ARE LOVED, YOU ARE WANTED. YOU ARE WORTH DYING FOR.

     Easter also humbles me.

     It reminds me that WE called for him to die. We, humans, were created and designed to be in an incredible and intimate relationship with God, but we demanded to do our own thing, to figure things out on our own. We angrily shoved away a disruption to our selfishness and self centered life and actively screamed for his death. His murder. His crucifixion.

    To those that are thinking right now, “I could never do that,” “That was those who didn’t know back then.” “I just could never think or say that:

     First, "those" (the people physically there demanding Christ's death) were the majority in their time and very few are ever willing to stand out in a crowd or completely sacrifice their life, the life their children live, and all they are and have... to go against the majority, the government, the church leaders. I suspect most wouldn’t do so even today.

     Second, you say it (I say it) every day. Maybe not in those exact words, but

when you leave the house in the morning without prayer

when you spend a day without a single scripture

 when you stand in praise and worship, but your heart isn’t kneeling

when you snap and scold your spouse, your child, your coworker

You are (I am) saying it, you are suppressing Jesus, you are killing him who is in you, keeping him from shinning through. Your humanity is showing.

     We so often let our distractions, doubts, desires, indulgences, past, mistakes, business, demands of this life, everything keep us from living our abundant life. We keep ourselves first – doing everything from our own strength. We refuse to invite him in we don’t want him. We have never asked him to come alive in us, to live in us. Or sometimes, we did ask him, but we still yell crucify him as we let our mistakes, fear, and distractions keep Jesus from shining through.

     Victory and abundant life is ours every morning we can invite Jesus to live in us. You only have to pray and confess this desire/belief once and he is forever in you, but I find it helps me to repeat what I know and believe. It helps me to crucify myself and become focused on Jesus alive in me.

I pray, and you can too,

  Father God, I believe in you. I believe that Jesus is Lord. He is victorious. I know you sent Jesus to die for me to show me just how much you love me. I believe Jesus rose again and now lives, and I invite Jesus to live in me. I ask for forgiveness. I know I am forgiven. Thank you. In Jesus Name, Amen

Study:

Romans 10:9-13

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Worship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_7e2XIsUEM