Tag Archives: Happy Easter

Empty!!

by

1

THE EMPTY CROSS

Arriving at Golgotha that evening, I was overcome with a sense of emptiness. The area was completely deserted, but three blood-stained crosses at the top of the hill served as solemn reminders of the events of the day.

Less than a week earlier, Jesus of Nazareth entered the city with His disciples and many others proclaiming Him as Messiah, our long-awaited Savior. We were full of hope, because He was clearly a teacher sent by God with the power to work miracles—healing, feeding, and even raising people from the grave!

But then, the one who we thought would bring salvation was dead. It all happened so quickly; one day He was teaching His followers, and the next He was on trial and condemned to death by crucifixion. Even the execution was rushed, as the soldiers used a spear to ensure that He was dead before the day was over.

The empty cross, and the emptiness in my heart, both testified to one fact—Jesus died.

THE EMPTY TOMB

Three days later, some of His followers went to the tomb, found it empty, and returned with amazing news—He was alive! For the next forty days, He continued to teach and encourage His disciples, appearing first to one, then two, then eleven—and eventually more than five hundred of us at once!

Jesus had predicted that He would suffer, die, and rise again, but we just couldn’t comprehend the beauty of God’s divine plan to redeem our souls. When He said, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again,” we didn’t realize what He meant at the time.

But now, looking back on these events, I see how the empty cross testifies of His love, and the empty tomb declares His mighty power. God’s Word says:

• “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16).

• “[Jesus was] declared to be the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

This narrative was compiled using Biblical testimony found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and 1 Corinthians.

YOUR RESPONSE?

Jesus took our sins upon Himself—suffered and died in our place—so we can be forgiven. There on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The empty cross tells us that the work is done, the price has been paid, and the door to Heaven stands open.

The empty tomb demonstrates that Jesus won the victory over sin and death. Listen to His words: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

Jesus now offers salvation to all mankind. If we reject Him, we must stand before God and be judged for our sins—“cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

But if we admit that we are sinners, turn to God, and put our trust in Jesus Christ, we will find forgiveness and eternal life.

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved … For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9,13).

Happy Resurrection Day!

He Is Risen Indeed!

The Gospel Message

*

With Permission from Moments With The Book

Mae and the Easter Egg Hunt by Emma Foster

by

5

Baby Chick with Easter Eggs

Mae and the Easter Egg Hunt  ~ by Emma Foster

Once there was a chicken named Mae who lived on a small farm in the country. Mae lived on this small farm with many other animals who were her friends, but despite living in such a nice place, Mae was not happy. Every day the farmer would come into the henhouse to collect all of the eggs that the chickens laid, but Mae really wanted to have chicks of her own. One day Mae laid two eggs and promptly decided to hide them behind the henhouse. Mae searched for several good places to hide them, and finally decided to hide them inside the coils of a garden hose and cover the hose with a tarp to keep the eggs warm.

Mae checked her eggs every now and then to make sure they were safe. A couple of days later, however, Mae noticed some of the farmers hiding different colored eggs in several different places around the farm. Puzzled, Mae flapped over to one purple egg to see to whom it the egg might belong. After pecking at it, Mae was startled to see the egg pop open to reveal a small piece of candy.

Variety of Chickens ©motherearthnews

Suddenly a large group of squealing children ran out into the yard. Mae was so frightened she flapped back into the safety of the hen house. She watched as the children began running around, searching for the colored eggs with candy inside them.

Mae eventually realized that each of the children was hunting for the eggs in order to obtain the candy inside each one. Confused at the overall purpose, Mae decided to stay inside the hen house while the children tried to find the rest of the eggs.

Eventually, Mae waddled outside the hen house to check on her eggs, but when she walked behind the hen house she noticed that the tarp had been cast aside and her eggs were gone. Mae began frantically searching for her eggs, but they were nowhere to be found. The only eggs she found were the brightly colored eggs filled with candy. Mae searched all over the farm to find her two eggs, but they had disappeared.

Easter Egg Huning ©Living Vintage

Mae grew very upset because she couldn’t find her eggs, so upset that she barely noticed a group of children gathering around a girl’s Easter basket. Mae started to walk past them, but she heard a small cracking sound, followed by cries from the children. Mae fluttered over to where the children stood and saw her eggs in the basket. One of the eggs was shaking while another was almost completely open. All of a sudden the egg hatched open to reveal a tiny chick. The chick peeped loudly and gazed at its new surroundings. Mae was so happy she started clucking noisily, and the children quickly drew back because they thought she was angry at them for accidentally taking her chicks, thinking they were Easter eggs.

Baby Chicken with colorful easter eggs ©Colorbox

The other chick hatched out of his egg and quickly found its mother like the first chick. Carefully pulling her chicks out of her Easter basket, Mae guided her chicks toward the henhouse, grateful that she had found them and that they were safe. Mae came back from the henhouse, however, after her chicks were safe inside, and showed the children who had watched her chicks hatch where the rest of the Easter eggs were. Mae had done so much searching she was able to find other eggs that the rest of the children hadn’t seen. She decided to show them the eggs as a way of saying thank you, which made the children very happy. From then on Mae looked forward to the Easter egg hunt that came once a year, and every year she told her chicks the story of how they hatched in an Easter basket.

Baby Chickens with colorful easter eggs ©Colorbox

Lee’s Addition:

Emma, thank you for another delightful Bird Tale. Mae is quite an adventurous hen. Trust these added photos help illustrate Mae’s surprise of finding her new chicks in an Easter Basket.

Mae also reminds us that we should not be come overly concerned as Christians.

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34 KJV)

“And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?” (Luke 12:25 KJV)

*

Check out Emma’s other delightful stories.

*