Easter isn't just for believers

Easter season is here! Lent started last week with Ash Wednesday.

What do you usually think of when you think of Easter? Is it Jesus’ sacrifice for you? His love for you? How He set you free?

Well, as much as Easter is for us, it isn’t only ours.

Think back with me for a minute: His whole ministry, He was teaching his disciples how to do the same things He was doing for others (John 15:27). He came to make God known to the world, even on his way to the cross: (John 18-20)

• He tells those who came to arrest Him that He was God (I Am).
• He healed the ear of the high priest’s servant.
• He told Pilot plainly who He was in a way he would have understood.
• He took the place of Barabbas.
• He clearly fulfilled every prophecy in front of everyone to show the Jewish nation and religious leaders.
• He tells them that as the Father sent Him, He is sending them. He tells them to receive the Holy spirit and gives them authority to forgive sins. (John 20:21-23)
• He blesses those who have not seen Him and still believe.
• (Matthew 26-28)
• He knew the need for His death and submitted to the Father.
• He told the temp court and everyone there that they would see Him seated at the right hand of God and coming in God’s glory (what colds represented).
• God tore the temple curtain to show that God was once again with His people.
• Even the earth itself reacted to the death of Jesus with an earthquake and rocks splitting, they Roman guards understood and believed in Him.  
• People came back to life after Jesus’ resurrection.
• Another earthquake happened at His resurrection. And an angle appeared. To the Guards and rolled back the stone.

My list is getting long, so lastly I would like to mention the verse that everyone knows:
Now, why did I list all of this? Well first I was enjoying this a little too much?, but really, it was to show that Easter was not just for believers to get the warm fuzzies and remember how God rescued them. That is defiantly not a wrong thing because He did come that you might believe and have life, abundantly (John 20:31, John 10:10); however, even as He prayed for His disciples before He went to the cross, He also asked that the Father would forgive them as He hung on the cross, referring to everyone. All the things I just listed that happened in the Easter story were for everyone; particularly, for His accusers. He cared about the lost sheep of this world so much, even the Romans, that He made it clear to even them who he was!

The Easter story is really for the lost ones yet to believe. It is to inspire and command us to carry our cross like He did for the sake of those who are still lost, not to sit back and lounge in his forgiveness. No! He commanded us to go.

Easter is always a good time to read through the gospels again, especially the crucifixion. I challenge you to read all of the Easter story in all four books as a whole; it is a beautiful story. So, what should our application be this week? I can only think of telling someone about Jesus. It is something we should be doing anyway; I’ll be honest, I have not done it in a while. However, I want to.

God, we know you love all people; give us a compassion for them like you have. May we know what to say or do, just like you did, in a way that it will be clear to them.

Please share with us in the comments how it goes, and I hope I can share with you as well. Have a great week everyone.