Until my daughter moved away from home, I never really understood why my parents were so excited when I would come home or their sadness when my kids and I left. While I lived further away from them than my daughter does to me, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t close by.

Coming through the door of my parent’s home, we were always greeted with warm hugs before we settled in and got them caught up on all of the happenings of our lives. To top it off, there was always a deeeee-licious meal in our future. Nothing is better than home cooking!

I imagine that the apostles of Jesus experienced similar feelings. Their best friend, teacher, mentor, confidante was gone, not on a mission trip a few towns away but gone forever. At least that’s what they thought despite Jesus telling them He would return.

Yet…true to His Word, Jesus did return. Three days later, He came back home. Not only did He appear to His disciples but to hundreds of people as He walked about for forty days. Can you just imagine what the people who crucified Him must’ve been thinking? 

Like…”Didn’t He die? Didn’t we witness His death?” The soldier who pierced His side had an up close and personal look at the last minutes of Jesus’ life. What was he thinking as he saw Jesus alive? 

Did this event change his heart? Did he and others finally believe Jesus was who He said He was? One can only hope.

“So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54 NKJV)

Today we celebrate Resurrection Sunday or Easter as it’s more commonly called. This is the day that changed history forever. This is the day that put an end to death and opened up the doors to eternal life for any/all who choose to believe and receive this amazing gift that our Father in heaven provided.

Jesus paid the price for all of our sins and restored the relationship with His Father for everyone.

 With His death, burial and resurrection, He has opened the doors of heaven. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

I can’t understand this kind of love but I’m so grateful for it. 

This week, I listened to a teaching about what Jesus did for us. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to it so that you can get a revelation of how much you are loved by God. (Click here to listen.)

This is my prayer for you today:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19 NKJV)

Happy and blessed Easter to you and your loved ones!