You may remember from a previous post that Christmas is on January 7th instead of December 25th in this part of the world, since Ukraine follows the Orthodox calendar. Easter is similar; here, it almost always falls on a different Sunday than Easter in the western world. This year, the two were only one week apart, so we celebrated Palm Sunday while our friends in America celebrated Easter, and we celebrated Easter this past Sunday. We are so grateful for this holiday because of its rich meaning that is the foundation of our Christian faith.
In L'viv, we are just now starting to see trees bud and plants sprout little green leaves. What a beautiful reminder of old things being made new, life coming out of death, beauty from ashes. Last Easter, we were so blessed to be with one of our best friends from college as he made a decision to place His faith in Christ, and this year, we had the opportunity to watch 3 of our friends who have been coming to Living Word Church for quite some time choose to acknowledge Christ as Lord and King in their lives. Jesus said that He came so that we might have life - and not only life, but ABUNDANT life. Choosing to place our faith in Christ and walking with Him is not a restriction on our lives or following some set of "good Christian" rules. Believing in Jesus and walking in humble surrender and obedience to Him actually frees us to experience the abundant life that God intends for us. If you aren't experiencing this abundant life, what better time of year to ask God to help you do so? Ask Him to open your eyes, to give you faith, and to give you new life.
What's the Deal With This Holiday, Anyway?
Maybe you went to church a week and a half ago and heard the Easter Sunday message. People put a crown of thorns on Jesus and put Him up on a cross. When He died, He was put in a tomb. Three days later, the stone was rolled away from the tomb and He had risen from the dead. Maybe you've heard it a hundred times, and at this point, it goes in one ear and out the other. Maybe you have some questions or are skeptical. So people actually believe He came back to life after being dead? Why do people make a big deal over Jesus' death on a cross? What do people mean about Jesus "dying for my sins"? Why do we have this big celebration of this important historical figure coming back to life anyway? What a weird holiday. And what on earth could this event 2000 years ago possibly have to do with me and my life today? You may feel guilty wondering these things (especially in church) and you may choose not to voice these questions, because doing so might "rock the boat" with your friends or family who actually believe this stuff. But these are good questions, important questions, questions that may change your life if you find the answers. So don't stuff these questions to the back of your mind until next Easter! Be brave enough to face and ask them, courageous enough to look into possible answers, bold enough even to ask God to show you the answers. Know that there are HUGE implications of Jesus' death and resurrection for you and your life today. This blog post may not answer all your questions; in fact, it surely won't, as it's just an attempt to condense a huge, incomprehensible truth into a few hundred words. But we hope that perhaps it may be helpful.
The Weight of Debt
Are you in debt, or have you ever been in debt? Although mortgages, student loans, and car loans are the norm in the United States, being in debt isn't the ideal way to live. You must work, not only because it's a natural part of life and it makes the world a better place, but because you must make regular payments to those from whom you have borrowed. (Have you ever seen that bumper sticker "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!"? It's so true for so many!) Debt is like a cloud that hangs over one's head until it's repaid. This cloud may not feel so dark or so big to people with a steady job, a mortgage within their means, and credit cards that they pay off each month, but if this is your situation, can you imagine suddenly having your entire mortgage paid off? Can you imagine how free you'd feel? (Not to mention all you could do with the money you put towards your mortgage each month!) Let's think about a more extreme example though. We recently watched a news feature about title loan and paycheck advance companies that charge ridiculously high interest rates and trap often already-poor people in a spiral of debt. Some of these people find themselves owing thousands on a debt that started as a couple hundred dollars when they've already paid several hundred dollars off! All the money they paid went to fees and interest - none of it to the principal. In some cases, their car was taken, as it was the collateral for their loan; and in these cases, people often lose their job, as they have no transportation to work. Can you imagine being in such a position? Without intervention from a third party, these people are utterly hopeless and have no hope of escaping or recovering from this situation, much less even providing for basic needs like food and a home.
The Relief of Debt Paid Off
Imagine yourself in such a position. You are hopeless, broke, jobless, without transportation, wondering how you will eat your next meal. You receive a 24-hour notice of eviction, and you do not know where you will sleep after you leave your home. Now, imagine this. A very official-looking letter arrives the next day in the mail, just before you're getting ready to leave your house. Curious, you open it. This letter says that someone has offered to pay your debt off completely. Your heart skips a beat, but you try to stay calm, looking for the fine print. Not only does the letter say your debt will be paid, but it also says if you accept, your mortgage will be paid, your eviction notice revoked, you will receive a working car, and you will receive access to a bottomless bank account that will meet your needs for the rest of your life. You re-read it, studying the letter for broken English and a request for your social security number and routing numbers that will prove this is one of those scammers in Nigeria. Not only is there no fine print, but the letter states that literally nothing is required from you to receive this gift. You only have to choose to accept the offer. If you have too much pride to accept the offer, you will remain hopeless. But why would you want to refuse this offer? There is no other way out. Humble and grateful acceptance of this undeserved and unable-to-be-repaid gift is the only logical response.
Back to Easter
The reality is that every single person in all of history was or is in the position of this debtor described above - not necessarily having a deficit of finances, but a deficit of goodness in our hearts and actions. We are debtors to God, because we can never, ever measure up to His holiness and His perfection by ourselves. His standard is complete sinlessness, and we can never achieve this; even if you're a good person by human standards, you still fall short of God's perfect standard. The reason we celebrate Easter is because Jesus' death and resurrection was that official-looking letter offering each of us freedom from our debt. Those of us who have a relationship with Jesus Christ have accepted this incredible offer, knowing that no matter how hard we try, on our own strength, we fall short, and we have no other response but to humbly and gratefully accept His gift of forgiveness. This is why we love Easter! This is the significance of the cross and the empty tomb! Jesus, God's son, lived on earth as a sinless man, so He was the only one in all history who has lived a human life but owed no debt to God. Because He owed no debt, He was able to make the payment for sin, which is death. In doing so, He died as a substitution for you, me, and for the whole world. (This is why we say "Jesus died for my sins".) He made the payment on our behalf, and if we choose to accept this free gift, our debt is forgiven, and He gives us abundant life. Not only do we receive forgiveness for our sins as a result of His mercy, but He redeems our lives, turning us into new people with new life. Through His grace, he offers us numerous blessings, including eternal life, freedom from the power of sin, joy, peace, healing, contentment, and most importantly of all, a restored relationship with Him.
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5
The front of Living Word Church on Easter Sunday. The traditional Easter Sunday greeting is "Христос Воскрес!" (khrees-tohs vohs-kres, "Christ is Risen!"), to which the other person replies "Воістину Воскрес!" (voh-eest-in-oo vohs-kres, "Truly He is Risen!"). May you celebrate the true reason for Easter. Христос Воскрес!
If we may, can we challenge you to think on these things? Do you have freedom from your sin through life in Christ? Have you ever thought of yourself as a debtor who could never escape from the sum you owe? Are you willing to humble yourself to accept this free gift from God? If you have a relationship with Christ, are you enjoying the abundant life He offers? If not, is there some area of your life where you are holding on - not surrendering to Him? Do you fully trust Him?
Click here for more information about starting a relationship with Jesus. If you have any questions, we would love to Skype or correspond with you, and we'd be happy to answer your questions to the best of our ability. Please share your thoughts with us as well. If you feel that you are unable to accept this free gift, or have some hold-up in your heart or mind, we would encourage you to pray to God and talk to Him about what is holding you back. Faith is a gift from Him, and He has the power to change hearts and minds. Let us know, too, so we can be praying for you!