You're Worth Dying For

As we roll into yet another Easter week, I wonder, in your scheme of things, how important this whole Easter thing actually is. Though it may come and go in a blur of chocolate, long weekends, and family lunches, if we race past it, we miss the very heartbeat of God. Because Easter is God's way of saying: You're worth dying for. So, let's begin our week together by taking a step back to look at the broad sweep of what it's all about. Psalm 139, where the writer records his prayer to God, begins to paint the picture for us: Psalm 139:13-14 For it was you who formed my inward parts… I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (NRSV) In other words, God handcrafted you. He knit you together in your mother's womb. You're no accident. You're not some random product of chance. You were made in love, for love, to know Him and to walk with Him. But here's the tragedy: Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (NRSV) Each one of us, in our own way, has turned our back on God. We've missed the mark. And that rebellion comes with a price. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death. (NRSV) Yet God, knowing that, still chose to step in. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin..." (NRSV) He laid our sin — yours and mine — on Jesus. Why? So that we could have what we never deserved: forgiveness, freedom, eternal life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NRSV) Easter isn't just a quick drive-by or take-out; it's not even merely about remembering God's sacrifice — it's about responding to the One who gave His life for you. The One who saw your failures and said, "Still, you're worth dying for." So, please, don't rush past Easter. Tarry a while. Let His love sink in deep, because Jesus didn't just die for the world; He died for you. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.