“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (God gave love, so we love.)
John 14:6
2022 years ago, on a hill called Golgotha (skull hill), outside Jerusalem, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (John 23:34) as he was taken off to be crucified by the Romans because of a people, the Jews, that did not want to hear his words. His own people had gone and betrayed Him, yet Jesus said, “God forgive them,” not “God, take revenge on them,” or “God, strike my enemies dead,” but “God, forgive them.” He asked God to forgive them because they did not know the harm they were doing by crucifying the one that God had sent to save their souls from themselves. Sometimes, people harm others or themselves without knowing or realizing, and that is when it is said to be forgiving of them because they do not know what they are doing.
2022 years ago, Jesus knew that he would be sacrificed on a cross by the very people God had sent Him to save from themselves in sin, but yet, this was exactly how He planned on saving them from that sin in the first place.
2022 years ago, a man died on an old cross on Friday, now called Good Friday, and rose again 3 days later on Sunday. He, Jesus, saved the whole world that hated him from an eternal damnation in hell due to a sinful nature, if only each person would accept Jesus’ sacrifice as His free gift to them.
Blue Mountain celebrated the Easter holiday by handing out Easter treats at chapel’s ending on Monday, April 12, 2022, and letting Good Friday be an off-school day. There was no Easter egg hunt this year, but Dean Philip Richie says a Spring Fest will be on April 28th from 4:00-7:00, with a cookout picnic “at Cross County Pavilion [at] 5 p.m (sponsored by MMI Dining)”, an employee vs. student kickball game, “cornhole, spikeball, volleyball,” and an international vs. national soccer game on the intramural field.
While the schedule for the big day of the Spring Fest event is still being planned, God’s schedule is never planned yet always is, with God being there for people always if anyone needs Him.
Easter might have no surprises from eggs this year, but is any surprise greater than God's love for a world that has turned away from Him so many times? Following the example Jesus gave, why not, as He said, “love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). For what is Easter but a holiday presenting God’s love letter to people, if they will only choose to accept the letter entitled salvation?
Are people willing to sacrifice for God as He did for them? People can feel ignored and bitter at being betrayed by anyone, but God felt betrayed by His own creation after man rebelled against Him in the Garden of Eden at time’s dawn and again at Israel with Jesus’ crucifixion. But God never gave up on humankind, on trying to save His dearly beloved creation from its rebellious sinful nature that is still destroying it, so does that really mean that humans should give up on God, their loving Creator or anyone else?
Though the school will not celebrate Easter much this year, that does not mean that Easter is not celebrated in people’s hearts with love.
