Lost and Found

   Today is Easter Sunday.  This day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.  Through that miraculous event we have been offered the opportunity of salvation and eternal happiness with our Lord.

   On Good Friday, the greatest evil ever committed occurred; they nailed the Son of God to a cross and killed Him.  Today God turned that evil into the greatest good of all.  Jesus Christ, our Salvation and our Hope, rose from the dead and took His rightful place at the right hand of the Father.  In doing so He ransomed us from the slavery to sin and offered us adoption as children of God; His own brothers and sisters.  He came to restore us to His family;  He came to find us and bring us home.

   Jesus often spoke of this in parables.  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” (Luke 15: 4).  “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?” (Luke 15: 8).  We are the lost sheep; the lost coins.  We were lost to sin and our Shephard sought us out and gave His life to find us and save us.

   The parable of the prodigal son tells a beautiful story of forgiveness and redemption (see Luke 15: 11 – 32).  We are that son who left the father and squandered all he had given him.  God is the father who continued to seek us and look for our return, rejoicing when we came home.  The parable ends with the most wonderful expression of God’s forgiveness and joy upon our return, “It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive, he was lost, and is found.

   May God bless you and your family on this Easter Sunday.  May the joy and promise of this day be with you throughout the year and always.