Finished.

Happy Belated Easter!! As I have taken several days to reflect on the meaning of Easter it has been very humbling and a good reminder of what is truly important. Every year when Easter comes around it is such a good reminder of what my Savior did for me so that I can be where I am today. 

On Easter morning, our squad gathered for squad church to celebrate Easter. We took time to read the burial of Jesus in each of the gospels and to see the different perspectives each author had on the events. It is so interesting to me how some authors paid close attention to detail and others described the general events. Yet when you study all of it you gain a better understanding of the full picture. 

As we were studying, Luke 24 verse 5 struck me in a way differently than it had before. The verse says 

“So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” Asked the men” Luke 24:5

Mic drop. I wonder what went through their heads when that was said to them. Were they confused wondering what he was talking about? Were they convicted of not actually believing that Jesus was going to rise from the dead? Or were they just straight up dumbfounded? 

I know when I heard this read aloud, I was instantly convicted. Why are you looking for the living among the dead? It was like Jesus was asking me why are you still looking among the rubble and the past for the new life I have given you? People won’t find you, my daughter, in the ashes any longer, but living, walking and breathing fully alive! You are alive by the power of what I did on the cross. I covered your sins and paid your way to freedom, so live in it!  

In John 19:30 it says 

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “it is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit” 

 IT IS FINISHED. PERIOD. 

There is no marginalizing of what is finished and what is not. There is no “this is finished” for you and not for someone else.

It is finished. 

Your sins are forgiven. The veil is torn (Matthew 27:51). The sacrifice made. Why would you choose to live in the ashes searching for the living among the dead when he paid the price for you to live free. 

He chose us before we had the ability to even choose him back (Psalm 139:13) (1 John 4:10) and he gave his life for ours. That is the ultimate representation of love (John 15:13) and he did it for us. His children, his co-heirs and his princes and princesses. 

That is what we get to celebrate on Easter and everyday. That is grace. That while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We didn’t deserve it and there is no way we could ever repay him, yet out of the little we have to give in return, he deserves my everything. My time, my devotion, my thoughts, my resources and ultimately we are just giving him back everything he already gave us. 

Everything we have is already his because he is the creator of the world. We are so small and tiny in comparison yet he chose us.

That is the God of love. 

Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins and finishing it so I can run out of the grave of ashes, hurt and pain and into your glorious freedom! 

With Love, 

Kalyssa