A Sacrifice Like No Other

This past week has been a very special week. It was holy week, leading to today being Easter. For many people, Easter is a holiday where families get together to break bread and enjoy each other’s company, with the kids hunting for Easter eggs. However, for a number of us, Easter is more than just wearing our Sunday best and family time.
Easter marks the celebration of a savior who was willing to leave the comfort of His kingdom and assume human form, where He had to feel every human emotions and pain just like us. It was an uncommon sacrifice in which God the Father gave up His one and only son Jesus to come to endure tremendous atrocity for the sake of a humanity, most of which have yet to acknowledge His existence. As stated in scripture, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus suffered immeasurable amount of torture such as beating, profuse shedding of His blood, and His having to carry an enormous cross that they would later use to crucify Him. That cross He carried, while being flagged, symbolized all of our wrong doings, sickness and diseases, and our challenges (past, present, and future). He then was hung on that cross, with His hands and feet nailed to that tree. Can you imagine? Nobody would ever go to such length; but there is One who did it just for you and me. Why? Because that’s how much God loves each and everyone of us! “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
This is not a fable, but a true event well-documented by witnesses (His disciples) who spent copious amount of time with Jesus during His time on earth. This is the reality of the God who created the universe and everything in it, us included. And when it comes to us, He calls us the apple of His eyes. Such reference in itself (i.e. the apple of His eyes) tells a lot about the intensity of His love for us all. It also explains why He went to the drastic measure of sending His only son to suffer a brutal death through crucifixion in order to save and give eternal life to mankind. Thus, Jesus who knew no sin came with the sole purpose of giving up His life for you and me. “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.”

So, that’s what many of us are celebrating this Easter Holiday: The sacrifice of the cross through the death of Jesus Christ.

What makes this event most significant is the fact that He died, but He didn’t remain in the tomb where he was laid to rest;

otherwise His death would have been just an altruistic act. What made this occurrence most relevant and beneficial to us

is that three days after His death He arose, which gave us the right to be called redeemed… Redeemed from sin and death,

thus giving us eternal life. His death and resurrection ushered us into the new era of living under  His loving grace. We get

to have access to all sorts of blessings as a result of the sacrifice that cost God a whole lot. Indeed, it is a sacrifice like no

other.

Happy Easter!!!

Louise Beaubrun-Macaluso, PhD