A Priceless Gift

Have you ever really wanted to give somebody the “perfect gift”? You spend countless hours searching in stores and online for THE gift that will make the difference! Not only do you spend hours searching for the gift; but once you have found it, you don’t just throw it in a bag- no way!- you take the time to wrap it. You may even put a fancy bow or ribbon around it. You make it look pretty- maybe so pretty that the person getting gift doesn’t even want to unwrap it! Once it’s all been said and done, you may have quite possibly spent hours getting this gift ready to be given! You want to change somebody’s life with this gift. You want them to absolutely love it!  

As we get ready to celebrate Easter, I wonder if we will take a moment to really stop and think about the amazing gift that God gave to us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. Think about it. From the time Adam and Eve disobeyed in the Garden of Eden, God was busy putting a plan of redemption together so that we can be reconciled to Him! He didn’t want the awkward distance between us and Him- so He went to work. God’s plan of redemption is intertwined from Genesis to the time that Jesus came to Earth! Talk about a long time of gift planning!

Now, you may be wondering, “How is the cross- a gift? Isn’t it a symbol of shame, sin, and death?” The answer to that question is “YES”. Crucifixion was not only one of the most disgraceful forms of death; it was one of the most dreaded methods of execution in the ancient world. However, it is by the Cross that we are made me free: free to live a joyful life, free to love God and love people, free from an eternal separation! Colossians 2:13-15 says “Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” He canceled the record of charges… We all had a debt that we couldn’t pay. We could never been good enough, go to church enough, say enough prayers to get us back in right standing with God; but Jesus, through what He did on the Cross erased our debt and gives each one of the opportunity to live confident and covered by this amazing gift of Love! All we have to do is believe and accept the gift! That’s it!

So this week, as we celebrate Easter, let’s take the time to remember the gift of eternal life that God has given us. If we received a gift from someone who put in countless hours of effort- we would say at least say “Thank you”. Surely, we could take a minute or a day or a lifetime to thank God for such a priceless gift. He gave His life so that we could live- the ultimate gift; in return, let’s life our lives for Him- as the ultimate “thank you”. Have a wonderful Easter!