Talking to Tombstones, pt. II

Compared to other holidays, I never really liked Easter (which I rarely verbally admitted). My top 3 reasons: 1) I used to hate the pastel colors, 2) I was always kind of creeped out by the Easter bunny at the mall, and 3) I didn’t understand why a bunny was the one bringing Easter eggs.

Aside from those things, I loved the message and meaning behind Easter! The resurrection is the most beautiful story of love, hope, and grace. Although I understood the importance of it, over time I found myself becoming desensitized to the story because the church services were always the same (and honestly kind of boring).

The fact that Easter is in the spring also didn’t help me like it any better. Out of all four seasons, spring is my least favorite. It’s too hot to wear sweaters and too cold to wear tank tops. The only thing I like about spring is that there are tulips everywhere. But it’s also allergy season, which makes it hard to actually go outside and enjoy them.

Like I mentioned in the first post of this series, I had a change of heart last year at my church’s Easter production. This year, I actually got really excited that it was Easter (which hasn’t happened since I was 8). I think it’s crazy how God can bring new revelations out of old messages (even if you’ve heard it over twenty times).

And that’s kind of what this post is about - the birth of new things & the passing of old.

In the first part of “Talking to Tombstones,” I referenced Isaiah 53:3 - “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

“Transgressions” are our actions - the sins and offenses we commit.

“Iniquities” are not our actions, but the character behind our actions. It’s our heart posture.

The last post mainly focused on our transgressions, but I wanted to focus on our iniquities in this one.

I won’t even begin to try to understand the way our hearts work. But I do know that the things we do are a direct reflection of the condition of them.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

Luke 6:45 (ESV)

If you listen and watch closely, you will be able to catch glimpses of someone's heart.

A well-known example of that is the phrase “hurt people hurt people." I've seen that phrase ring true many times in my life, in my friend’s lives, and in my family’s lives. I have heard the words and seen the actions that have come out of a broken heart, of someone who has been abandoned, of someone who has been cheated on, of someone who has been rejected...

You can't hide your heart's posture, no matter how hard you try.

I hope you know that God cares so much about the condition of your heart. So much so that He was willing to suffer for it. Another translation of Isaiah 53:3 says that “he was bruised for our iniquities.” A bruise is an injury that happens on the inside of you. He endured internal bruises and external beatings so that He could heal you from the inside out.  

If you’re sitting here with a discouraged, tired, broken, or cold heart, I want you to know that Jesus is offering to replace your old heart with a new one.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)

On Easter, we hear the word “resurrection” SO many times. But I want to try replacing it with something fresh. If you look up synonyms for “resurrection”, you’ll see that

resurrection is healing

resurrection is restoration

resurrection is revival

resurrection is awakening from the dead

I guess I'll admit that it’s actually kind of cool/symbolic that Easter is in the spring. I read somewhere that “spring is the season of new beginnings.” Things that were once dead are starting to come back to life.

That is my prayer for you this Easter -

That the parts of you that were once dead will be healed, restored, revived, and awakened, through the grace of Jesus Christ. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)