Sunday’s Coming…
When I was kid, I loved Christmas. Don’t we all? Then I lived in Israel for a year when I was in the sixth grade and spent Christmas Eve in Bethlehem and it completely changed my heart and perspective about Christmas - it' wasn’t just about gifts under the tree…but the true gift of life that came in the form of a baby boy.
As I have gotten older and my faith has evolved and deepen in different ways through different seasons, Easter has become so precious to me - the real gift of sacrifice, eternal life, and a hope and purpose for our lives here on earth. One of the coolest parts of the Resurrection Story? The first person to encounter Jesus after His resurrection was a WOMAN - Mary Magdelene who was follower with Jesus during his ministry. For some reason God wanted in on written record that Jesus first appeared to a WOMAN and told her to tell the others.
When I went through the hardest and darkest times of my life, I ran out of prayers. I had prayed all my words, fears, hopes, and begging. Worship music became my prayers - when I ran out of words, worship music was there. It still is. Worship music and Easter are precious to me. They give us HOPE. A reason to be here, a purpose to live out, and a hope for the future and for something better to come.
I have a friend who shared that she removed the word “hope” from her vocabulary because she found that it just brought disappointment. And that can be true. When we put our hope or faith in people, in our work, in our circumstances or the outcomes…there can always be a disappointment. If you watched “White Lotus” and are a fan of Laurie’s speech at the end…I get it. It was finally an honest, vulnerable, raw moment that we all want and need in our closest relationships. But. I was also yelling at the TV when she kept saying she put her faith in her marriage, her motherhood, her career…I was yelling “you put your faith in the wrong things!!”
We have all been there…we are human. We put our hope and faith or identity and worth in our relationships, our parenting and children, our careers - anything that we can look at and measure ourselves against. But. We will always be disappointed. If we put our hope and faith or our identity and worth is something bigger and greater than ourselves…how can that let us down? That something bigger and greater can be whatever you decide for yourself but there is a reason every support group requires you to find that. Because we can’t just look to our circumstances or other people or our careers for our purpose, meaning, worth, value, hope, faith and identity. For me, that bigger and greater thing is God. And while my life has brought major grief, trauma, and disappointment…God never has. And the only reason I can keep going is because I put my hope and faith in Him and the plan He has for me.
One of the biggest lessons I learned caring for my father in law and walking with him through his transition to the other side to be reunited with his beloved wife and beloved Jesus is that it wasn’t supposed to be this way. When God created…He created it GOOD. It was supposed to be flawless, perfect, joyful and without knowing suffering. But He also gave us free will and we messed it up. Watching Wayne and thinking about all the bad that happens in this world, I just felt this whisper, this reminder…”it wasn’t supposed to be this way.” So now what? Keep our eyes on HOPE, FAITH, and the PROMISES that are to come.
As you celebrate this Easter, I pray you pause. And think about why you are here. What is your purpose? Where is your hope? Where are you getting your worth and identity? Be careful with that. Because you are worthy and created for a purpose and to have hope for the good to come. It’s hard. Life is hard. This world is hard. And all around us is a constant reminder of that. But. Choose wisely where you put your focus…your hope.
I wanted to share this fun recipe that you can do for Easter morning. They are resurrection rolls - and not only are they delicious, but they have also meaning deeper than their layers.
Sunday is coming.
You can find the full recipe here:
Resurrection Rolls Recipe and Story: A Joyful Tradition for Easter
Ingredients you’ll need for making 12 rolls:
12 frozen Rhodes rolls, thawed just enough to work with the dough but not risen
12 regular-sized marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
The meaning for each ingredient:
The marshmallow: The marshmallow reminds us of the body of Christ, wrapped in special cloths as was the custom in ancient Israel. After Christ rose from the grave, the disciples saw the grave clothes neatly folded and left behind in the tomb! For further reading: Matthew 27:59; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53, 24:12; John 19:40
The roll of dough: the roll represents the tomb in which Jesus Christ was buried. He wasn’t buried in the ground, as you may have seen happen at a funeral. In Bible times, people were often buried in a cave on the side of a hill or mountain. The Bible tells us that a man named Joseph of Arimethea gave his tomb to be used for Jesus’ burial. For further reading: Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42, 20:6-8
The spices: We read in the Bible that several women came early Sunday morning to the tomb where Jesus had been buried three days earlier. They planned to use the spices to anoint Christ’s body. Anointing a person’s body after they died was the custom in ancient Israel and was a way to show respect for loved ones who had died. We also read that Joseph and Nicodemus used about 100 pounds of spices as they prepared Jesus’ body for burial! For further reading: Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 19:39-40
The sugar: Christ’s death on the cross was a terribly sad thing. God’s enemies thought they had won, but they were wrong! In fact, this was all in God’s plan, and out of the greatest tragedy came the most wonderful thing ever – Jesus conquered death once and for all and paid the penalty for our sins! Now, all who turn to God and trust in Jesus to forgive them from their sins will receive eternal life. God is very good at making sweet and beautiful things out of what first appears to be bitter and ugly. For further reading: Mark 15:33-38; Luke 24:36-48; 1 Peter 1:3-9
The time spent rising and baking the rolls: Even though Jesus had told his followers that He would rise from the grave, they didn’t understand and believe what He was telling them. After His death, they were filled with deep sadness, hopelessness, and fear. They didn’t realize that the most amazing and wonderful thing that was about to happen! For further reading: John 11:25-26; Mark 16:9-14; Luke 24:1-8, 13-27
The empty roll: On Sunday morning, three days after Jesus had died on the cross, the women came to anoint Jesus’ body with the spices. As they walked to the tomb, they wondered who would help them roll away the huge stone that had been placed in front of the opening. But guess what?! The stone was already rolled away, and the tomb was empty! An angel appeared and said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Jesus has risen just as He said He would!” Can you imagine the incredible joy of Jesus’s disciples as, one by one, they realized that Jesus was no longer dead but had risen from the grave? Hallelujah! For further reading: Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-9; John 20:19-20