Everywhere we look as we drive around or scroll online we see signs claiming,

HE IS RISEN!

We see it on banners hung across church buildings. We see it on signs planted in peoples yards. We see it posted on peoples Facebook‘s and Instagram accounts.

It’s Easter week and we want to celebrate!

But before Sunday came, before the tomb was empty, an entire week of praise, rejection, mocking, betrayal, torture, and death took place.

Praise happened first as Jesus entered Jerusalem!

“HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNA, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Crowds cheered, palm branches waved and peoples hearts stirred at the thought of the Lord‘s coming!

They had waited so long to be set free.

Their anticipation was high! They were going to be rescued! Their enemies were going to be put in their place! They saw Jesus as a conquering Savior! Someone who would meet their expectations and set them free from everything that plagued them here on this earth!

But their expectations were not met.

Jesus had not come as a conquering savior to destroy their enemy physically here on earth and set them up as the victors. He had come as the once for all savior, for all people, then and now!

JESUS DIDN’T FIT THEIR EXPECTATIONS!

Looking at their situation through their eyes and not God‘s eyes, they quickly changed their reaction.

Instead of “HOSANNA, HOSANNA, HOSANNAH, their cries became,

“CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM!”

When their expectations were not met, they looked to themselves and their understanding and fear and anger took over!

Looking to ourselves for solutions instead of trusting in and waiting on God for our solutions can lead to disaster.

Jesus was then betrayed, lied about, mocked, beaten, tortured and eventually, brutally killed. Until through His final breath He uttered the reason for it all! The answer they had been looking for all along.

“TETELESTHAI”

IT IS FINISHED, IT IS ACCOMPLISHED, IT IS PAID IN FULL!

Jesus had endured the brutality, the misunderstanding, the abuse, the torture, and the death because He is indeed, the only one to meet every expectation that we have!

Because of His death on the cross, we have full covering for our sin, and the ability to have life forever with Him in heaven! 

He did not say, “it is over.“ He said, ”It is finished,” it has been accomplished!

Jesus truly does meet all of our expectations and more. He paid the price for us on the cross, and He completed God‘s perfect will according to God‘s perfect expectations! When we choose to align ourselves with God’s expectations, and see our situation through His eyes, we can then live the lives that He has prepared for us in true freedom! 

We have been set free through the sacrifice of Jesus our PERFECT SAVIOR!

TRUTH BOMB

WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SITUATION WITH GOD’S EYES AND NOT OUR OWN, JESUS MEETS ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS!

So when you view those beautiful banners, yard signs, and social media posts claiming, HE IS RISEN, raise your hands, Praise God and confidently proclaim,

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Happy Easter Friends!

Speak Truth Love