From now until June, something I’m doing is helping the candidates in our church prepare for baptism. Baptism is a really significant moment in our spiritual lives, one where we make a public profession of our faith by participating in something that we have done since the very beginning of Christianity. Even Jesus was baptized in Matthew 3:13-17. You may remember your own baptism and what that was like.
As we get closer to Easter this month, I think about baptism and the whole meaning of Easter. There are two memorable days on Easter weekend. Many of us will remember Good Friday as the statutory holiday and the beginning of our long weekend. In the church, this is the day that we remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
As Good Friday approaches, I’m reminded of what Jesus went through in the days leading up to Good Friday. This was a huge time of testing for Jesus. Jesus was so stressed that as he prayed “His sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground” (Luke 22:44). He’s betrayed by one of his closest friends (Luke 22:48), lashed (Matthew 27:26), and sent to the cross.
As we get closer to Good Friday, I’m reminded of all of those things. But I’m also reminded that Jesus went through it for us. Jesus can identify with our struggles and our prayers. When we face moments of sickness, weakness, when our bodies seem to fail us, Jesus is there and understands. When we face issues in relationships that need to be reconciled, Jesus is there. When we face the hardships and confusion in life, situations that cause us anxiety and worry, Jesus is there. Jesus has been there himself and can identify with us.
And best of all, we remember that Good Friday is followed by another memorable day, Easter Sunday. This is the day we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection. Against everything that is possible, Jesus defeats the power of death. In the end, sickness doesn’t win, challenges don’t win, anxiety doesn’t win, and sin doesn’t win. Jesus wins! So even as we face hardships in our lives, we remember that not only is Jesus with us, but Jesus defeated the power of those things to give us life, and life to the full (John 10:10).
Heavenly Father, we lift up all our concerns to you today. We remember all our loved ones who are struggling with sickness, or difficult circumstances and decisions, or trials in their lives. We lift our cares up to you, because you love us, and understand everything we are going through. We pray for your power and peace to flow through us, and to bring healing to everyone we are praying for today. In Jesus’s Name, Amen