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Happy Easter 2017

Think about the events of the past few days some 2000 years ago.  On Friday, Satan managed to kill Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I believe that on that Friday the devil was rejoicing and believed that he had won a major battle against God.  Then Saturday is relatively quiet and uneventful when Satan is still likely riding on cloud nine.  But then Sunday morning comes...

As Satan checks the tomb along with others they see that the body is gone.  The game of chess has turned.  Satan had just a day before said "check" to God while Jesus was taking the brunt of our sins on His body and breathed his last.  But then that glorious Easter morning, God replies, "checkmate."  He has conquered sin and death.  He took the devil's best shot and overcame it!

But it gets better.  "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13.  We know that Jesus laid down his life, but who are his friends? 

We know, the Bible tells us.  This is not a mystery.  John 15:15-16 read, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

The breakdown:
- Jesus laid down his life for his friends.
- We are his friends, no longer called servants.
- He has told us what He knows through the Bible, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.
- Our faith and belief in God does not start with us.  It starts with Him, He chose us.  He chose to suffer, chose to die, chose to rise!
- He wants us to be fruitful and abide in Him.
- He will give us what we ask for in the Father's name.

Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for not celebrating Easter more than Christmas.  I know that without the birth there could be no resurrection.  But I also realize how amazing the resurrection is.  It's the biggest victory in history, the biggest comeback ever.  Jesus was dead, it was finished.  But God wasn't done.  He had a plan and raised His Son from the grave in a nearly incomprehensible show of strength and power.  Thank you Lord for that victory.  And thank you for choosing a sinner like me to call friend.  Amen.

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