Happy Easter, Indeed.

For 39 years now (yup, 40 is coming), I have heard people say 'Happy Easter' many times. Why, I have even said it so many times. I even said it today to most of the people that I interacted with, why I think I even said it to our Muslim cab driver that provided the kkft an easy ride to the sonrise service in Central park that began at 7 am. By the by, I have often sensed the presence of Jesus in this gret city, but this morning, Jesus again stormed my soul and overwhelmed me with the fact that He came to live on this earth, he taught us how God wants us to live, he went to the cross and took the weight of the world's sin upon himself, so that God's covenant, new and holy, might be complete. He was beaten, spit on, squashed like a rose petal, and hung on the cross bleeding until he could not breathe anymore. He felt the separation from his creator that he never experienced before, simply so that we might be able to experience the love and grace God wants us to forever. Standing on a rock near 77th avenue and Central Park West, the sun rose above the treetops and shined upon a group of about 100 people that sang His praises and worshipped Him together. The joy of knowing who Jesus really was, and continues to be is something I wish I could just give to everyone. But I can't. As Jesus asked his disciples, he also asks us-look at Matthew 16, and read about Jesus speaking to his disciples in 16:13:
"Who do people say the son of Man is?"
And at some point in your life, and in all of our lives, we must wrestle with this question. Who do people say He is? Then, more importantly, look at Matthew 16:15:
"But what about you? He asked. Who do you say I am?"
This is the only question that matters forever and ever. What about you? Who do you say that He is?
Today, the question is vital to the world. Today marks the day that crazies around the world either believe He died, was placed in the tomb, and rose from the dead, or they don't. For me, it is a day that overwhelms me with the reality that Jesus did it for me. T$. He died for me. For my sins. For my ability to strengthen my relationship with my Creator. To receive the Holy Spirit as was promised in the new covenant. To know that I am forgiven, and loved, and cared for, no matter where I am, no matter the city, the borough, the state, the country, the company, or the time of day. He loves me because He created me to love Him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul. And to love others before myself.
And today-I believe He is risen. He conquered death just as easy as He loved others first. He is risen. He is risen indeed.
And today, I say to you, Happy Easter. Happy Easter indeed.

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