this is my call, i belong to you.

It was really sunny today! :) And warm too!

I was happy :)

But not only because of that. Remember my post about Easter? How i was struggling with the idea of it?

Today during worship, it suddenly hit me. It really is worthy of celebration. Woohoo! Sorry, i'm a little slow, i know. Rumor has it that i was dropped on my head many a time as a child. I blame gravity.

Anyway, explanation time.

I guess something we tend to forget when we think of Jesus is that He was human. We imagine him being this man in a shiny white robe that sparkles and blinds, floating around healing one sick person after another. *insert awe music*

But He was a human being just like us. He felt hunger, temptation, loneliness and had a need to be loved too. He was made out of flesh and blood and felt pain the same way that we do, physical and emotional.

The main thing that came into my head today was Garden of Gethsemane. So i read it up, in all 4 gospels.

In Matthew 26: 38, "He told them, 'My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.'" In 26: 39, he goes on to say, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet, I want your will, not mine."

In Mark 14: 36, "'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will, not mine.'"

In Luke 22: 44, "He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood."

John 17 is a really good one. I'm not gonna type it all out. But read it if you will and/or want to. It's good. Very... enlightening.

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Do you see how i see it now?

This man was going to die. And he fully understood the weight of it all, the pain that he had to bear. He was scared. He wanted out, if it was possible. But more than anything, he wanted the will of his Father to be done.

Can you imagine his desperation that "his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood". Imagine this mental image.. Close up to this man's forehead, he is kneeling face down on the ground in desperation, crying out to his Father for help. So desperate that the sweat that is forming on his forehead is piling up to big droplets, heavy enough for gravity to pull it's weight down. That was how desperate he was!

I found the whole thing very symbolic. Although it does not even come close to what Jesus had to experience, but don't we all go through this?

Don't we all have moments when we are just kneeling face down on the ground before God, praying that he will relieve us from our pain/ fears/ worries?

So anyways, cut the preach-y short, Jesus went through with it, bore the pain in full force (I cannot even begin to imagine what that was like), and well, died.

BUT here comes the good news! :) He resurrected! It's good! The sun is shining again! People have been set free! He returned to his original glory! Hearts are on fire! All is happy clappy! :)

And THAT is why we celebrate Easter.

I'm glad.

Next year, par-taaaaaaaay! :) :) :) Wanna join me?

Peace Out! Forgive the preach-y please ;)

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All verses taken from NLT. All emphasis added by me.