This day, the Saturday after Good Friday, as the Church calls it, Christians around the world wake up, and remember that Jesus was crucified in 33 A.D. We remember that He really died, as the Gospels tell us, and that no one took His place. He did not merely faint, or pretend death. If a doctor were there to test for a pulse, Jesus Christ would have been pronounced medically and really dead.

How did He die? The Lord died, accursed, on Golgothas hill in Jerusalem. The weight of humanitys sin killed Him. He suffered under the bitter weight of the wrath of God in our place: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Psalm 22:1) was lamented from His lips. No person has known such isolation, such loneliness as this Lord Jesus Christ.

The cause of death was marked by our real and many sins killed Him: lies on your tongue, murder in your heart, the cruelness to our neighbors, selfishness, fornication, sexual sins of all kinds, the lack of love, curses uttered against the Lord Himself. All these and more, the Bible records. The curse of sin was on Christ Himself. He took them all on His shoulders, on His Person.

Bitter morning. He laid in the tomb. The Messiah was dead. But wait a minute. Let us remember the Word. Jesus said something about rising from the grave. Yes, three times in each Gospel, He said that He would be given over to the authorities, die, and rise from the grave. Can we believe that? Gods Word is more true than our feelings, our grief, sadness. His Word is more powerful than death.

Easter is coming tomorrow. What is so big about Easter? Jesus storms through hell, not to suffer more, but to wave the taunting finger at the devil Himself, proclaiming victory as He comes out of the grave (1 Peter 3:18-19). Easter tells us that Jesus came out of the tomb (John 20:21). His rising was not just a metaphor, but reality done by God Himself. Jesus rose from the dead.

His death answered for our sins before God once and for all. His blood was a perfect sacrifice offered in love for the sins of the whole world. The Lord who has died has risen! This is what Easter proclaims. Open your ears again to this precious and soul-saving truth, the truth of the day after this bitter day: Christ is risen. This Lord who was crucified has risen (see Mark 16:6). The tomb was empty. The Lord walked out alive. This means death is conquered. Satan is trounced. God is alive. He has done it for you, dear reader. The Gospel is that Jesus has gone through death to life for you.

Die to your sin; be joined to Him. Christ holds out abundant forgiveness. He forgives richly Peter, James, John. His forgiveness is also for you. Trust in His Word, His Work, and the righteousness that He has upheld is yours. This Lord who died and rose did it all for you.

Christ is risen. You can repeat the age old Christian truth: Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Come to Church tomorrow, where you will hear this sweet Easter Gospel.

Travis Loeslie is the pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Morristown.

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A bitter morning: A Holy Saturday meditation | Opinion - Southernminn.com