Easter – Lisa J Radcliff ~ Finding Freedom from the Past

It’s the season of scars. The kids are outside again. Skinned knees are just a stone-under-a scooter-tire away from happening. Time to stock up on the Paw Patrol Band-Aids® and fill the freezer with boo-boo bunny ice packs. The adults are not immune to the scars of spring either. My husband has already started a few new ones from cutting down some trees, pulling out picker bushes (his nemesis), and getting the zero-turn ready for the season.

My scars are well documented in my second book, A Time to Laugh: My Life Over Fifty with talk of tattooing them into something fun (check it out). But just for good measure, I tripped over one of the picker bush vines while walking in the woods yesterday and did a full body plant. I told Doug where it is so he can eradicate it from the face of the earth. Fortunately, I didn’t break a hip, but I may have a new scar somewhere. Oh well. Tis the season.

The most important and most talked about scars of this season are the ones Jesus acquired when he went to the cross. And they should be. His scars were from wounds that bring us healing. Think about how he got those scars: from the crown of thorns pressed into his head; from the scourging (short whips with sharp pieces of bone and metal) of his back, buttocks, and legs; from the nails in his feet and hands; and from the spear that pierced his side. They ought to be talked about and pondered this Easter season.

In the past year, I had torn rotator cuffs (yes, cuffs, both of them). Because of my FQAD, torn tendons are common. I’ve had a torn rotator cuff repaired in the past. But this time, as I remembered the pain and difficulty recovering from that surgery, I hesitated to do it again. I didn’t have FQAD then. It can be negatively affected by anesthesia. It could cause more tears after the repair. I was torn about what to do with these tears. So I spoke to my physical therapist.

He said that if I decided not to have surgery, PT would help build the muscles around it, and scar tissue could develop, which would maybe do some “repairing” of the tear. I opted not to have surgery. I’m so glad I made that decision. I have almost full use of my shoulders. It seems scar tissue did form over the tears. So, the scars had some healing properties, but they can’t do what Jesus’s scars did.

His scars healed the broken relationship between the Father and his children. His scars brought eternal healing, full and forever. My scars bought me a little time to be able to do things with less pain. His scars healed me for all of eternity. My scars only affected me. His scars were effective for the whole world.

He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace; and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 ESV.

Spring. New life. Resurrection. I love this time of year. What I love the most is when the first spring flowers poke through the ground, a sign that winter’s grip is loosening, and new life is coming. A few daffodils popped up in my woods this week. They all heed the call that it’s time for the green shoots to burst from the bulbs and up through the ground. Those delicate, slender green leaves somehow push through the hard ground and the layers of dead debris resting on the forest floor. The first sighting of light green summons hope that spring is near. Soon after, the bright yellow blossoms pose a striking contrast to the greys and browns of the dead leaves and fallen branches all around them. Their sunny trumpets blast that life can come after death. Spring. Life. Renewal. Resurrection.

In a few days, we will celebrate Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. Unlike the daffodil bulbs, that are simply dormant through the winter, Jesus was actually dead. But on the appointed day, life flowed back into his body. His heart beat again, blood coursed through his veins, and breath filled his lungs. His winter-cold corpse was restored to life. In newness of life, he rose and walked out of the grave.

I wish I could have been there to see that moment when life returned. Did he suck in air and jump to his feet? Or was it a gradual awakening as his body systems came back online? We do know, before leaving the tomb, he took the time to fold the cloth that had been wrapped around his head. And the other graveclothes were left behind. What was he wearing? Bright, shiny, new clothes? What do resurrection clothes look like? For someone like me, who loves to shop for new clothes, I’m very curious. Maybe as the graveclothes unraveled another garment was revealed, like a superhero. He wasn’t in a hurry. He waited around for the women to come (probably why he folded the face cloth—just good manners).

I do remember the day new life came to me. I was sixteen, angry and broken. It happened following a friend’s funeral. Why weren’t those closest to him also angry and broken? That’s when his love and grace breached my anger. They knew because of Jesus’s resurrection, their loved one was with him. He had lived his life for Jesus, and now he was with Jesus. I wanted that and knelt down asked Jesus to forgive my sin and show me how to live for him. As his forgiveness washed over me, I felt new life fill my heart. The joy and peace that filled me were undeniable. Springtime. New life. Resurrection.

His resurrection did cause something to die. Death. He conquered death and, along with it, the power of sin. Satan was defeated. His head was crushed, his power vanquished, and his doom sealed, fulfilling the Genesis 3 promise. There is no point to Christianity without the resurrection. It would not make any difference if Jesus was just an historic figure or a good teacher. He had to be God incarnate. He had to die and be resurrected or nothing else mattered. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 (ESV) “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (died).”

Resurrection. All things become new. And one day spring will come and last forever. No more death. No more suffering. Forever alive with Jesus. Winter is losing its grip, and spring is coming. I await it with anticipation and great joy! He is risen! He is risen indeed.