The Look of Love

If I were to ask you to paint/draw a picture of ‘love’, I wonder what it would look like? Hearts and flowers? A mother with her new-born baby? A young couple staring adoringly into each other’s eyes? The truth is that we have an image of perfect love, yet in reality, love can be messy. The very first Easter (when Jesus died on the cross in our place to save us) was the perfect example of love… but it was far from roses and flowers. It was a love that hurt, a love that had a huge, sacrificial cost. Beatings, blood, nails…that was the cost that Jesus paid for love of each one of us.

“This is how we know what true love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16, The Bible

This week Princess Catherine shared her own personal journey, reminding us that even beauty and wealth cannot save us from human suffering. Yet we have a God who promises to one day restore everything to how it was intended to be – a world of love, of harmony and peace. That is the very reason Jesus came: to pay the price for our sins so we could be reconciled to God.

The hands which healed the sick were the hands that opened for the nails, conquered death and now open to beckon you and I to know His love. Death could not hold the Author of Life and as we celebrate this Easter with school holidays and chocolate eggs we remember with thanks, giving the resurrection and the hope of eternal life that we have though our Saviour Jesus. So as we face a new summer term, exams and all that lies beyond, let us be steadfast and press on to a brighter future, knowing that each one of has a purpose to bring God’s love into this our love-starved world.

Hallelujah, Christ is Risen! Have a wonderful Easter!

Jesus said, ‘I am the Resurrection and the life.” John 11:25