Love’s Journey to the Cross – Lent Reflections
Easter Sunday – God’s Victorious Love
1 Corinthians 5; Ephesians 3: Romans 10

Today is the day we celebrate God’s victorious love! We have been counting down the days of Lent towards Easter Sunday. Today, we reflect and celebrate… Jesus is no longer in the grave! …He lives! …Hallelujah!

This Lent and Easter season, we have been focusing on dying to our selfishness and choosing to live free in Christ. …What things have you died to this Lent in order to live free in Christ? Have you traded in your disappointments, your worries, your fears, sorrows, selfishness, hang-ups, unhealthy and unmet expectations, or unhealthy relationships…? Perhaps you have not yet nailed something to the cross in order to live in Christ’s freedom. (Meaning, something you have not yet trusted Jesus with.) …Something you think you can find satisfaction in apart from Jesus, but only leaves you empty.

Today, we celebrate Christ’s victory! It’s His perfect love that satisfies our hearts. Whatever has in the past kept you awake at night, or has weighed heavy, Jesus died to set you free from! And now, Jesus lives! In your heart, may you hold your hands wide open to give Him what it is you have clung to, what you have felt trapped under, and instead receive His victorious love for you that couldn’t stay nailed to the cross. May you pray, “Jesus I give this to you…, I trust you with…, forgive me for… and I receive your forgiveness and your victory!”

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we can say… “Oh death, where is your victory? …Oh death, where is your sting?” Our Good Father gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, we live not for victory, we live from victory.

(Pray…)

Jesus, because of your resurrection, your Good News is victory! Those who have lived for you and have already died on this earth, rejoice! All things broken will be made knew! You reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. You died for our sins, and have been raised for our freedom. If we confess with our mouths that Jesus, you are Lord of every area of our lives, we are saved. May we choose this day, Lord Jesus, to love and live in your victory!

God, give us your inner strength and power through your Holy Spirit. Christ, be alive in us. I pray that your love may be the ground in which we sink our roots deeply and the only thing we build our lives on. I pray we will be in awe at how wide, long, high, and deep your love is… and that we would walk in all the plans you have for us… to show your victorious love to others around us. I pray this in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

(Written originally for Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016)