"He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Peter 2:24
I was looking through a folder of papers the other day searching for one specific document. It was supposed to be a quick, easy process. But it wasn’t. The folder was thick and heavy, laden with newspaper clippings, birth certificates, and among other things - funeral programs. I found myself entranced by the programs. As I sifted through them, I became engulfed in the lives of so many individuals. Family and family friends long gone whose lives were now spelled out on neatly folded programs coupled with photo montages and sentimental words and poems. Skimming through the leaflets was like going back in time, reliving the memories of that individual and what they meant to me personally; how they made me laugh, think, and somehow shaped the person I am today. The details of their life included things others felt it was important for us to know about them, where they went to school, who their parents were, life accomplishments which often included spouses and children. I was overwhelmed, to say the least at the vast amount of history. As I read through each program, I reflected on some of my last memories of that individual. In some cases, they were family members who I hadn’t talked to in quite some time. A few were from ceremonies I had attended in person and for those I could remember how it felt to be in the room, to experience the hurt and sadness of the final goodbye up close and personal. For others, I received them from a parent or other family member who wanted to keep me informed and aware of the passing. Does anyone else get funeral programs of family friends from their parents in the mail? Or is it just me? Regardless of the individual, it was clear that they all lived a life that impacted others, to extents that they may or may not know.
This is the time of the year when we reflect on the death of One whose life impacted … everyone. He died for the sins of everyone that ever has and ever will live. He died so that we might have life, eternal life. That is by far the greatest impact that any living soul will ever have on one life. We can sift through pages of the Bible and read about how he healed, forgave, and set free so many. And those stories while true provide the foundation for what we know about Him. But deeper still is the impact when we think about how He has personally changed our lives. What has he done for you personally? How have the bullet points of his life as told through the Bible resonated with the pivotal and everyday moments of your life? That inextricable ability of His to care about and become intertwined in the intricate details of our life makes him nothing short of praiseworthy. This Easter as we reflect on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ remember who He is – the son of God, born of the virgin Mary, preacher, teacher, and what he has meant to you personally – healer, deliverer, friend, savior.
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