A Sombre Easter

Unlike previous Easter celebrations which were happy and joyful occasions, this year proved to be a more sombre affair. As I shared the reasons why with my sister, I was surprised when she exclaimed how blessed I had been to be touched by God in such a meaningful way.

On Good Friday, as I ate my pickled fish and reflected on the symbolism of the fish, vinegar and spices, I was reminded of the intense pain and suffering that Jesus had endured when he died on the cross. Like the sacrificial lamb that he was, he endured and submitted his life as an offering to us all, knowing that it was for a greater purpose. As Christians, we should share, not only in the celebration of the Easter message, but also in the suffering. As a parent, I can only imagine how God must have felt to see his son suffering as he was battered and bruised and nailed to that cross. If you've ever watched the movie 'The Passion of the Christ', you cannot help but grimace in anguish at how much Jesus had suffered and endured.

On Sunday, again, instead of a happy, uplifting, joyful message, Pastor Jaco Janse van Rensburg from the Shofar Church in Century City chose to focus us on the betrayal of Christ by Judas and Peter and the importance of repentance. As he shared how Peter had denied knowing Jesus, I was reminded of how often I too had denied Jesus - by not sharing that I was a Christian with others or by saying, thinking or doing things that I knew he would disapprove of. As I wept with repentance of how sinful I was, I realised how it is only with a contrite heart, being made fully aware at the wretchedness of our sin, that you can fully appreciate the magnitude of Jesus's death and what it cost him and what it means to me as a sinner.

As a sinner, we can either choose to be like Judas who ended his life in despair or we can repent and be like Peter, who became one of the greatest witnesses for Christ. We may not go to the extremes of ending our lives, but by choosing not to repent, our sin can eat at us and end up killing our faith, our hope and even our future.

Two things stood out for me on Sunday's sermon. One was from Luke 22:61 when after Peter had denied knowing Jesus for the third time, Jesus locked eyes with him. Peter remembered what Jesus had said the night before and was filled with shame and wept bitterly. But I also reflected on the love and forgiveness Peter must have seen in Jesus's eyes - no condemnation or anger, just pure love and understanding, which remorsefully turned Peter's shame and guilt into true repentance.

The other highlight was the significance of Peter denying Jesus 3 times, and then in John 21:15-17 when Jesus, after his resurrection, asks Peter if he loves him 3 times. It is almost as if there is a spiritual transaction that takes place when we sin in the natural, that needs to be cancelled out again in the spiritual. Or perhaps the number 3, being the symbol of completion, was Jesus's way of saying 'It is finished'. Just like the message of Easter should be for us - Jesus died for our sins, paying the full debt of our transgressions. His work was done.

Only once we can fully appreciate and comprehend what Jesus's death means for us as a sinner, can we then rejoice and celebrate how Christ conquered death by rising again to give us the amazing gift of eternal life.

The Cycle of Comfort

Reading 2 Corinthians, I've come to realise that the purpose of our suffering, is to become a part of God's cycle of comforting. When we go through the storms of life, or are shaken by the tragic loss of a loved one, we get to experience God's amazing comfort, as well as the comfort of family and friends. 

God promises us that He will be with us during these difficult times, which tells me we will and should expect to go through them. Grabbing hold of God's tangible comfort, allows us to stand firm, without having to fall apart, for it's in His comfort that we find the peace to trust Him, even though we do not understand why. It is in His arms that we find His strength to carry all the pain and hurt, until we are strong enough to lay it down.  The cure for our despair is trusting that God will, not solve the problem or take away our pain, but help us to get through it. 

If you are in desperate need of God's comfort right now, but cannot feel His presence, then trust that He is there, whether you can 'feel' Him or not. Spend time alone in His presence, encouraging yourself with the healing balm of the Psalms and completely open up your heart to Him honestly in prayer.  God hears all the groanings of our heart when we don't know what to pray. Build up your spirit with worship and praise and let your free-flowing tears heal you with their cleansing. I also find that spending time in nature helps me to feel God's presence. Be bold enough to ask God for a sign that He is there, and be amazed as He shows you His goodness. 

Another comfort revelation I've come to learn, is that when a sorrow is shared it is instinctively halved. Sharing our pain with others and accepting their gifts of prayer as we battle with lifes trials, testings and tribulations, is a blessing we should be thankful for, and not take for granted. And the amazing thing is, that when we comfort others, putting aside our problems and our pain, we ourselves are helped and comforted in return. In fact, it is the purpose of our very pain that we are able to comfort others who go through the same thing, that allows us to truly empathise and become an effective comforter.  

So next time you meet someone who is going through something you have had to endured, you can come along side of them with a comfort only you can offer, for God has prepared you for this very task...