An Easter Birthday

My thirty-third birthday will fall on Easter Sunday. My first thought upon realizing this year’s date was “I will be the age Jesus was when He died on that cross”. And then “What have I done in my 33 years that could possibly compare to His?” I've done good things; God does good things through me and these have value. But I will never be like Him! I have been thinking on this for months; today it hit me that the truth is more beautiful than anything I could come up with: I don’t need to compare because what He did replaces what I’ve done, and all I ever will do. 

In the Spring we celebrate new life: from death, life; what was dead will rise again to new life (Isaiah 26:10, I Corinthians 15:51-52). Flowers die, drop seeds, Winter insulates, Spring sprouts new life from soil made rich by last year’s decomposed flora. The season of death is finished and life abundant blooms in the earth to feel the sun on its face.

I do not believe it is coincidence that God chose Spring for the Death and Resurrection of His Son.  In Spring in Israel came Passover.  Jesus went to Jerusalem for Passover that year (despite the intense political turmoil and danger to Himself... or perhaps we could say that it was for these very reasons?). He arrived in the city on the day the sacrificial lambs were brought to the Temple for four days of inspection. Only flawless lambs, only blemish-less lambs, only these were acceptable. During this time He Himself was "inspected" by the "authorities" of the day: the High Priest, scribes and elders, the High Priest's father-in-law (corrupted hierarchy that they had), the Romans. Grilled. Accused. Raked over the coals. At least four trials are recorded! No wrongs could be found; no blemish was in Him. But they condemned Him anyway on false witness. On the day before Passover He was nailed to a cross. 

And then He died. He forgave, and He took the blame for Sin - all our sins, our Sinful nature, each and every one. That ugly, separate-God-from-man Sin. The veil-ripping atonement shook the earth and blackened the sky that afternoon, before sunset when Passover began (Luke 23:45). You see, the veil separated us.e Litrally. A veil in the Temple separated the Presence of God in the Holy of Holies from Man in the outer courts. Only the High Priest could pass the veil, once a year, to offer sacrifice to God for the people. If the sacrifice did not "pass inspection" - death for the priest (they pulled him out by a rope tied to his ankle). When Jesus died that veil ripped in two. God was no longer separate. Jesus the High Priest (Hebrews 6:19-20) bought our access with a spotless sacrifice (Himself) and God accepted it. He removed the veil, now it's our heart to God's heart, no barrier.

Give or take 1500 years before Jesus' perfect sacrifice God's people Israel were slaves in Egypt. God wanted them out. Nine plagues could not convince Pharaoh to let them go. The tenth did. God gave very specific instructions to the Israelites; spotless lambs, blood on the doorposts, unleavened bread, dressed and ready to go. Even their future was looked after: plunder from the Egyptians, given freely! (But that is a topic for another day.) That night the Lord struck Egypt; every firstborn child died. But in the houses with spotless Lamb's blood on the doorpost, these the Lord passed over and the firstborn lived (Exodus 12). So you see? Jesus is the Passover Lamb for the houses of the whole world, every one that has His Blood on their doors (their hearts). Death will pass us over! 

This is why Jesus died at Passover.  This is Easter... though man has moved the observance to be near the Spring Equinox, though we have named it for a pagan goddess, though we buy chocolates and hunt for eggs... Easter is Atonement. Sacrifice. Passover.

And then... and then! He the Firstfruits to rise from the dead - the first and best portion tithed to God - the Firstborn Son who was demanded as God’s price for sin (I Corinthians 15:20). When He rose, He rose on the Feast of First Fruits. (There is so much here, it could take up books!) And so we live, and are given "new birth" from His death. Spring, and Birthday.

He is the Death-Defeater and the Life-Giver. He is our Passover Lamb and our Firstfruits Sacrifice. His Death means our Life. My birthday on Easter is God’s picture to me that Easter is every Christian’s Birth day – the celebration of our birth into Eternal Life with God. The season of Death is finished (John 19:30) and Life abundant blooms in us to feel the Son on our faces.

This post was spoken to me by God; I don't believe I can write this way on my own, it's His gift to me, through me. I am being inspired and encouraged every day by other women, beautiful everyday-like-me women, who blog. Ann Voskamp (One Thousand Gifts) is offering a scholarship to a conference I just learned about - She Speaks - where women connect the hearts of women to the heart of our God, to follow God's calling on their lives through speaking, writing, sharing. As He leads me and I struggle along to follow I pray that He use me to speak to others, His children, in some way. Not really good enough for that job, but that's not the point, is it?