Easter, New Beginnings & a Curtain

When we think of Easter we think about spring time, daffodils, new life, eggs, family, hope, love and not forgetting chocolate! Who can forget the chocolate, every year we have at least 10 Easter eggs between us all, any potential of eating healthily flies out of the window.  For those on diets, you may as well forget it for a few weeks; if you can't beat them you might as well join them in chocolate frenzie heaven.

Also the Easter holidays always pose parents with the endless racking of brains for ideas of crafts and outdoor activities for our children and for those living in the UK, always hoping & praying for some sunshine to peek out of the clouds every so often; which on the odd occasion it does!

As I think on Easter, it is a time to remember the season of 'New Beginnings'.  Those organised among us may have already done some spring cleaning.  Things can become fairly dusty over time especially in those areas that are hidden away from sight. This reminds me of our lives - day after day we are accumulating dust and dirt that may need a little clean, especially those areas hidden from view.  May be it's time for a fresh start and a new beginning; I certainly challenge myself with this concept.

Finally I turn my thoughts to the Christian message of the Easter story and look at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - the Son of God.  It's probably one of the greatest stories ever told - it a story of love, hope, forgiveness & new life.  The most significant part of this bible story was however about a curtain.......yes I did say curtain!

So what has a curtain got to do with the Easter story?  At the time of Jesus, in the temple of Jerusalem a heavy curtain was hung to separate people from the 'Holy of Holies' (the place on earth where God's presence dwelt).  Only a specially selected Priest was allowed to enter just once a year, to ask for forgiveness for the sins of the people.  Symbolically therefore, the curtain represented a barrier between us and God.  

Now this is where it gets exciting, as Jesus took his last breath on the cross, this temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom; it was literally ripped open!  When this happened, it represented the fact that all mankind was now able to come to God freely.  This was a new and much easier way of doing things; a new beginning for all mankind. That's why Christians the world over regularly thank God for sending Jesus, as through Him and what he did on the cross, we can now come to God personally.

Well I believe it's time for me to get on with some spring cleaning - I've got a lot of work to do on the inside and out.  It's going to be hard work but well worth the effort.  Happy Easter everyone!

Lv Caroline x

Bible Readings

Heb 10 v 20 - By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

Mark 15 33-39 - When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 

Eph 1v7 - He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.