He is Risen was the Hallelujah cry of Sunday morning. He is Risen indeed Hallelujah! So now what?
Do we forget about Easter and just wait now for Christmas to come around again? Noooo. Did you realise that after His resurrection and before His ascension and before Pentecost, that Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples? He did it for a specific reason. He talked to them about forgiveness! Wow – this is actually huge. You can find it in John 20: 21-23.
When you think of what had just been done to Him: the arrest by so called priests, the torturous and horrific death He suffered and now, just days after His resurrection, Jesus directs them toward forgiveness.
The spirit of forgiveness. Do we have this available to us? Yes! We do if we believe in and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Is it easy to forgive? No, it is not. Maybe for Jesus – but we are not Jesus. We are human, flawed and full of buts, if´s and what about´s. We will always have a reason or reasons, spring to mind for why we should not forgive…
Are there reasons why we should forgive? Yes, of course there are – for the sake of our body, mind and soul. Unforgiveness creates dis-ease in our body and in our mind, it creates dis-quiet in our soul. We are uneasy within ourselves each time we think of the person or occasion, even years later. Is this not true? Is it easy to forgive?
Again – No, it´s not. But, I would say to you that whilst we might not – and sometimes should not – forget. We must forgive. Forgiveness releases the burden of holding on to immense hurt.
Letting go and giving it to God, gives us permission and opportunity to leave that hurt in the past, and often that person too. It gives us the ability to look that person in the eye and not want to boil over with anger and resentment and want revenge anymore. Forgiveness gives us peace. And real peace is priceless.
If you need help letting go, come and talk. If you need help finding peace for your soul, come and see us. If you need God in your life again, or for the first time, come and visit us at Cornerstone, Calle Escultor Ribera Girona 67 in Pilar de la Horadada – or find a church nearer to you.
Easter blessings continue the whole year around because He is not on that cross. He is Risen, Hallelujah!
Pastor Phil
