Genesis

It is beautiful outside today - the sun is shining, the air is warm and it seems as if everywhere I look the blossom is exploding in riotous colour - magnolia, cherry, camellia - the trees are bursting with new life  and I can almost hear them singing 'hallelujah' to the Lord who brought light out of darkness, life out of death.

It made me think about the 11 disciples - there with Jesus in the build up to Passover, the day we call Good Friday. He had washed their feet, reminded them that He was going to prepare a place for them so that they could be where He was. He had taught them so much in those few days before He went to die and I find myself wondering - did they remember the words of God to Moses - 'This month shall be the beginning of months - it is to be the first month of the year to you'. Exodus 12:2

Did they think about the enormity of that statement - that God would give Israel a new calendar - a point from which they would be able to measure their life - their real life, their life of freedom, their life of glorious redemption that He would provide? Did they think about the fact that God had spoken this to Moses whilst they were still in slavery in Egypt - before He had brought them through the Red Sea? And did they once realise the picture that God had painted for them there?

And I thought probably not - their minds were full of Jesus - of what He said and how He said it, of where He was going and why. Questions must have been running through their minds, anxiety taking root, fear of what was coming and all the while Jesus was preparing to make a new calendar for them - a genesis - a new beginning - in fact the only real 'beginning'. 

Tomorrow will be full of tears for them - they will see Him arrested and tortured and then hung on a cross to die. They will not understand the fullness of all that He is doing - all that He will accomplish on that cross. It will be a few days before they really see the truth - before they see Him, the risen Saviour standing before them and telling them that 'all is well, do not be afraid, it is I'.

And just like those disciples, you and I, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have been identified with the death of our Passover Lamb -  when He died, we died, when He was buried, we were buried and when He rose from the dead we too were raised to 'walk in newness of life'. Romans 6:3-4

So, as we remember this coming weekend our wonderful Saviour and His amazing grace - as we think about His death and resurrection,  remember too that it was the start of a new calendar - the calendar of eternity. Now, because of His great love we are seated with Him in heavenly places, blessed with every spiritual blessing in Him, protected by His powerful grace, born to glory, walking in glory, headed to glory - now and forever children of the glorious, living God. 

'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing...... To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and dominion forever and ever' Revelation 4:12-13