King

Good Friday Art by Kate McRae

When I sat down at my computer today to write about Easter, I had every intention to write about "Sunday's Coming" and post that famous video of S.M. Lockridge's sermon. I love that video and we have used it in church more than once just to remind people that Good Friday was a sad day...a day where evil thought it won but "Sunday is a comin..." But like I always do when I sit down at the computer, I check my all-important facebook first. As I scrolled through my news feed, I noticed that Aaron McRae, our soon to be new pastor, posted this picture that his daughter, Kate, drew for Good Friday. I am no art critic but I think this little girl captures what today is all about. I was struck by all the black in the picture. It looks like all the evil in the world is crushing in on him but what looks like to be a circle of light at the top of the cross, looks like Jesus is still connected to his heavenly father. Jesus looks lonely in all that darkness. I also love that she wrote "King" at the top of the cross as that is historically correct as Jesus was known as "King of the Jews."

I recently read Tim Keller's, King's Cross. In it he says, "God created the world in an instant, and it was a beautiful process. He re-created the world on the cross- and it was a horrible process. On the cross, Jesus is getting what WE deserve so we can get what HE deserves." Keller also points out the irony of the whole crucifixion thing because here is Jesus, the one who will one day judge over the ENTIRE world, being judged BY the world. 


So why is this important to you and me today? Easter is a great reminder that death has no hold on the one true God. There have been many great prophets and teachers throughout history...great men of faith but not one of them conquered death. When their time on earth was finished, they were proved to be mortal. And since Jesus was our substitute sacrifice, we now can now share the same experience...life after death. Christ's death on the cross is our bridge to God. Tim Keller puts it like this, "If you actually get the thing you have been seeking you suddenly realize that it's not BIG enough for your soul. It doesn't produce its own light." All of us are searching for something to fill us up...relationships, material things, substances that alter our consciousness...after awhile, everything leaves us empty and then we search for the next best thing. Lots of folks live their entire lives searching and never fill up that empty place in their hearts. 


Someone who totally understands all of this is our featured artist, Kate. You see, she has been battling brain cancer for 3 years and she is only eight but she gets God. She understands that HE loves her personally, knows everything about her and knows HE is the one who is going through this journey with her. She knows that Easter is not a fairytale but Easter is her personal story of hope. A hope of a living God who loved the world, that he gave up his only sinless son, (don't tell me that God doesn't understand what you are going through....he made the toughest decision a parent had to make) to die for the sins of all of us. Because of this, you, me and Kate have a reason to rejoice. We are all just one "yes" away from knowing Jesus personally.


So today, they killed Jesus, put him in a borrowed grave, rolled a giant stone in front of the tomb and assigned a guard so his followers could not steal the body. On Sunday, two women will visit the grave to prepare his body and find the stone rolled away and Jesus gone. They will meet a stranger on the road who will ask, "Why do you look for Jesus among the dead? HE IS ALIVE!" There is a redeemer...do you know him???


Okay...couldn't resist...here's the video

For more information on sweet Kate, learn about her story on prayforkate.com


HAPPY EASTER