It’s funny how each year something about the Easter story highlights itself to me. It’s great because each year I add to my knowledge of and gratefulness for the events of Easter. This year, it has been the deliberateness of it all.

For a long time, I have been struck by Jesus’ determination to go to Jerusalem, there are passages throughout the gospels where he talks of the necessity for him to go to Jerusalem (Matthew 16, Mark 10, Luke 9).

This wasn’t him making it up as he went along or even him reacting to what was happening as it occurred. This was a plan that had been formulated from the time when Adam and Eve were turned out of the garden.

A plan that gave humans every opportunity to turn back to God through their own determination and willingness. But a plan that covered the circumstance that they wouldn’t be able to do this. So, the only solution would be divine intervention.

A plan that demanded of Jesus the willingness to become human with all the frustration and strangeness that would mean for one who was used to being God.

A plan that demanded him to experience derision, humiliation, desertion followed by the most painful death that man has ever devised.

A plan that made Jesus – in his humanity – feel that God had deserted him.

A plan that demanded that God wouldn’t interfere and would let Jesus go through with it. Rather than God turning away maybe we should think of him watching with tears running down his face. Holding himself back because it just had to be done. It was the only way.

A plan that Jesus could say was finished. That he had completed and achieved all that was required of him. He had defeated death and given us salvation.

A plan that allowed God to say, I don’t need to keep myself separate any more, as he split the curtain in the temple from top to bottom. With Jesus’ absorption of our sin, God could allow us to come to him directly whenever we wish. Something he had longed for since time began.

A plan that gives us hope for life now and for eternity later. May we continue to celebrate Easter in the coming days, months and years. Giving thanks for all that was done for us and revelling in the renewed and refreshed relationship we have with God.

Theme photo by Hugo Fergusson on Unsplash