Praise God for Easter

Oftentimes it’s the simple things that have within them the most power. I’ve sat in so many Easter services. I’ve heard so many great Easter sermons. But this year I can’t seem to escape one simple fact of Easter — God wants me.

In all the complexities of what Jesus accomplished, what has proved the most powerful in my life is the simple fact that Jesus did it for relationship. God wants me enough that he’d give absolutely everything just to have me.

Jesus taught us in Matthew 13:34, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” I’ve been thinking about the truth of that passage from the perspective of God to us. God sold all he had in sending Jesus because he counts us as his treasure. In his grace he wanted us enough to pay the highest price, even death on a cross. We are worth that to him. And I get this sense that if there were a higher price that could be paid for us, he would have gladly paid it. If there were more that he could have given than his life, he would have gladly done so.

May we not lose the simplicity of Easter. May the truth of why Jesus did what he did find its way into the very core of our being. May we never wonder if we’re wanted. And may the reality that we’re valuable beyond measure become for us a foundation for our identity, emotions, actions and decisions.

Rather than losing the power of this simple truth, maybe the best thing to do is worship. Maybe the most helpful thing would be to give back the love that we’ve all just celebrated this weekend. One of my favorite responses to the truth of Easter comes from the Exsultet, a famous and historic proclamation of Easter. A portion reads:

“It is truly right and just, with ardent love of mind and heart
and with devoted service of our voice,
to acclaim our God invisible, the almighty Father,
and Jesus Christ, our Lord, his Son, his Only Begotten.
Who for our sake paid Adam’s debt to the eternal Father,
and, pouring out his own dear Blood,
wiped clean the record of our ancient sinfulness.”

“O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!”

“O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!” Praise God for Easter.