Easter,
to kids is egg hunts,
to some is a 3 hours driving lineup for border shopping,
to us is a love so unique from Jesus.
To remember Christ's love for us, we chose to read scriptures covering his death and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
We did this in a play. In fact it is only a rehearsal of the play that will be acted this coming Sunday in our home.
Having a 5 member family has advantage in doing a play. We have enough people for many characters...
We discussed what the soldiers did to Jesus, how Jesus felt on the cross, how's it important that his bones not broken... We discussed the responses of the soldiers, Mary, Peter and John who rushed to the empty tomb...
There were a few teaching moments, some to me were touching moment. Explaining how hard Jesus breathed on the cross, how he was nailed and how he was pierced, definitely touched my heart once again. I could see my kids got something in their hearts as well.
But before all this rehearsal, we had to decide who acted who...
"Who's going to act the soldiers?" Caleb, Joshua and Philip hurried to raise hands. "Who's going to act the angels in the tomb?' Caleb, Joshua and Philip again hurried with a yes.
"Who is going to act Jesus?" All said, "Not me!" (They thought they had to be naked like Jesus & lots more...)
But we need a Jesus. So I persuaded them. But Philip was too young to remember the scripts. Joshua was too funny as for the suffering cross. So I convinced Caleb to do Jesus. He rejected. "Let's draw lots!" So I pulled out 3 toothpicks with one being shortened and asked them to pick. Philip picked the long one. Joshua picked another long one. Caleb got the short one. But when he discovered his "fate," Caleb cried, "why me?" "I don't want to be Jesus!" "Why all bad things happen to me?"
He cried. Really crying. I was speechless. What were we going to do if no one volunteered to act Jesus? It went for a minute. And I said, "You don't need to act Jesus. Jesus was not forced to do these. He just wanted to."
Seeing his brother's sadness, Joshua said, "OK. I'll do Jesus!" And I thanked Joshua to volunteer himself when no one was willing to be Jesus. And I told my kids...
"We need a Jesus spirit to act Jesus. Joshua just demonstrated to us what is the spirit needed to act Jesus. WILLING AND VOLUNTARY. Jesus was not forced by the Father. But when he and the Father saw our eternal sufferings from our sins, he said to the Father, "Father, let me go to do this for them!"
Jesus, the Son of God, wanted to come, volunteered to come, happily he came, not in ignorance of the price he was going to pay. He knew what's going to take to set us free: his lonesome 30 some years, misunderstood by all including his own brothers, forsaken by his beloved disciples, flogged, nailed, naked, pierced... death... even on the cross. But Jesus chose this. If he is going to do it again...if...He would say YES to the Father again just like he did before the creation of the world. Jesus volunteered himself because he love us, love the world, so much...
So I told Caleb. "Now that your brother takes your place and volunteers for you, what are you going to say?" "Thank you." "Yes, you say thank you but from the bottom of your heart...
This is what we should do to Jesus! He volunteered to take up our place on the cross that we don't have to suffer. We should all give thanks to him from our hearts, love him and follow him faithfully all our lives!"
Is that what you do in Easter and everyday? Thanks. Love. Follow.
This is how as a simple church we celebrate and remember our Lord. We don't do preaching. But God is so rich that he often teaches us in ways far touching and relevant than any human words.
Lord, I thank you so much for what you do to us.
(As for the play this Sunday, we are not ready for public viewing, except those viewers in Heaven. Sorry!)
