Note to Myself:

     Easter was yesterday, and you have already forgotten the burning in your heart when you heard the preacher talk about the Cross. Yeah, you heard the words of the choir singing that “Jesus is Alive” and “The tomb can’t hold Him”, and you even got a little teary-eyed... But today; the Monday after Easter, you forgot. Or maybe you didn't forget, but you are choosing to ignore it… again… This Monday after Easter, you simply became numb all over again to the display of extravagant love that Christ demonstrated on the cross for you.  

You are Passionate in the moment of overwhelming and undeniable conviction of the Holy Spirit, but soon enough, start to go back to the ways of the world. Yes, Easter is a day dedicated to remembering the death, burial, and resurrection… But frankly, because you're a Christian, you should be celebrating “Easter” every, single, day. 

When Jesus was arrested, you weren’t. When Jesus was sentenced to death and mocked by a nation, you weren’t. When Jesus carried His cross up to Calvary, you didn't. And when Jesus was spread out on a wooden cross, nails driven through His hands and feet, with a crown of thorns crushing His head you did nothing… Because He did it all FOR you. And for that, every day that you live your life here on earth, it is ALL because of that. If He didn’t do what He did, you would be doomed for destruction, and a slave to death, with no escape. 

YOU sinned and fell short of His glory. YOU were sentenced to death for eternity. And not only did Jesus come and take all that pain and suffering that YOU were meant to endure, but He gave you even more. He gave YOU the gift of an eternal and perfect life with Him. He died for you, but He rose for you too. 

Something that I feel that you forget is that YOUR sins are what put your perfect Savior on that cross. I’ll write it again so that can really resignate with you… YOUR sin put Jesus on the cross. It's ok to feel a little sick to your stomach when you read that because to be honest, it's awful. You have had every opportunity to live for Christ, and yet you continually choose sin… You see, It wasn’t just a miracle that He chose to do for the attention or authority or fame; It was a debt that had to be paid, and He paid it in full. For you. 

The perfect and blameless Savior, that handcrafted you, and destined you for a specific purpose, came down to a broken world as a human and died for YOU. 

His sacrifice is for everyone, but it’s also personal. It’s specific to YOU. You, Jacquelyn Jessup, are here ONLY because of Jesus Christ. 

I write all this because I want you to remember that He is worthy of being praised. And no I don't just mean at chapel clapping your hands, or in the car singing to Hillsong. I mean that He deserves to be praised in every single part of your life. In the crowd, in the quiet, in the classroom, on the field, and everywhere in between, HE is worthy of being praised. 

Don’t forget Easter. You were destined to the dominion of darkness, and He rescued you. You were an orphan, and He adopted you into the Kingdom. You were dirty and He made you clean. 

He never forgot about you for even a moment while He was suffocating on the cross. He never even thought about not loving you for even a second while being beat by those guards. So why are you forgetting to live for Him? 

He gave you this life. So live it for Him. 

Yes, you are sinful. Yes, you will continually fall short. But you have every reason to live for Him. So stop letting the sin Christ died for rule over your life.

Be obedient to the scriptures that God gave you for a fruitful life. Surrender to Him every morning. Believe with your whole heart when Paul writes in Romans that you died with Christ and resurrected to a new life with Him too. 

And most importantly, remember to celebrate Easter with every part of your being, every single second of the day, because frankly without Easter, you wouldn't even be here.


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