Happy Easter

I was at a brunch a couple days ago when some of the girls said to one another, "Happy Good Friday." That night the question was brought to me, "whats so good about Good Friday?" There's nothing good about it if you weren't to think about the Sunday that followed; Friday was a day of despair. How I look at the Gospels and think how much Satan must have loved this Friday. However, Sunday is God's refusal of Satan's day. The meaning behind Easter, I think I've missed before, is Jesus's suffering. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the Devil's work" 1 John 3:8b. Easter's meaning is that the wrath of God was poured on Jesus so it wouldn't be on us. Jesus suffered the most awful death imaginable during that time so there could be a Sunday. During church this past weekend I learned a new detail about the story of Jesus that I've never truly noticed before. When Jesus came back after the resurrection he came to his disciples. Earlier one of this own stated that he wouldn't believe in Jesus if he didn't see the scars from the crucifixion himself. Suddenly, while all the disciples in a locked room Jesus appears. Yeah, that's cool walk through doors, that won't freak out anyone Jesus. Anyway, Jesus calls up Thomas and says, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." I never noticed that Jesus came back with scars. God didn't come back with his new body but with one that proved his love. When you see the scared Jesus, it makes sense. Lucky for us we have a God that gets it. That leads and loves and understands pain and has scars as well. When I put my scared hands in his; scared from pain and issues in my life, he says me too. Through the Sunday and through His scars there's healing from the Friday and any day that's knocked us down personally. God has a plan for the darkness and the meaning of Easter is that God is in control. "Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus" Galatians 6:17.

My favorite verse of all time is Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."