Easter Holiday

This was my first Easter weekend in Ethiopia. It was especially unique in the fact that for the first time in 90-something years all three calendars (European, Jewish, and Ethiopian) line up the same in celebrating Easter/Passover/Fasika. So while we were dyeing Easter eggs with the orphans, Ethiopians were slaughtering their sheep, and our Jewish co-worker was preparing the Passover meal.

On Friday, I had a wonderful Good Friday service in my house with some worship music and a downloaded sermon. On Saturday, we participated in the Passover Seder with our co-workers. And although it was a humanistic Passover, Andrew and I were able to enjoy the significance it has for our Lord. It was such a beautiful picture of Christ. And then on Sunday, we went to mass with our other Catholic co-workers. Then we came back and had lunch with Ethiopian friends.

All this to say that it was one of the best Easter holidays I have had. It was multi-cultural, packed with significance, and completely void of any pastel colors or bunnies. ☺

The thing I rejoiced the most about this holiday was the power of Christ over sin and death. In the sermon I was listening to on Good Friday, Paul Washer was reading a dialogue written by a Puritan back in the day named Flavel, and it went something like this:

God: My Son, here is a company of poor miserable souls. They have utterly undone themselves, and now they lie open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them.

Jesus: Oh my Father, such is my love to and pity for them that rather than they shall perish eternally; I will be responsible for them as their guarantee. Bring in all thy bills that I may see what they owe Thee. Lord, bring them all in that there may be no after-reckonings with them. At my hand Thou shall require it. I will rather choose to suffer their wrath, the wrath they deserve, than they should suffer it. Upon me, my Father, be upon me all their debt.

God: My Son, if Thou undertake for them, Thou must reckon to pay every last might, expect no abatements. Son, if I spare them, I will not spare You.

Jesus: Content, Father, let it be so. Charge it all upon me. I am able to discharge it. And though it proves a kind of undoing to me. Though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it.

WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE! No human or angel can make that statement- “I am able to discharge it.” Only the God of this world could undertake that great wrath, for every sin, every thought, every action every human had or will comment, and say, “I am able!” He looks at the cross and says, “ It will prove to be a kind of undoing to me.” WOW!

I always looked at the cross and thought about see Jesus’ love, humility, servant-hood in it, but never really thought about the great power it must have taken to withstand that wrath. And then, three days later, he proves how able he is to discharge it. He laughs at death and says, “Oh death, where is your sting?!” I have the power to lay down my life, and I will take it back up again!

There is such depth to the cross. Jesus is so awesome!