John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”
No better time than Easter to celebrate this passage. Imagine spreading the good word throughout the land all the days of your life and then being mercilessly crucified. His word of faith, hope and love were inconsistent with the desires of those in power, so they decided to put an end to His life.
Jesus, of course, got in the last word; he played the card that trumped the strong, mean-spirited power of the aristocracy. He arose from the tomb on Easter Sunday. The power of the ruling class was nothing compared to His power.
There can be no greater gesture than to give up one’s life so that others may live. Jesus did not die for us so that we could live a life on “cruise control.” He did not die for us to live a risk-averse life never challenging ourselves physically, mentally or emotionally. His sacrifice was not done so we could lay around on the couch, standing on the sidelines or simply remaining as one of life’s bystanders.
His death and resurrection are a reminder to us that success is not final and failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. He begs us to pursue our dreams, climb the mountains, cross the seas, help the elderly, care for the needy and be generous to the less fortunate. Live life to the fullest by listening to others and lending a helping hand so others can overcome their day-to-day obstacles of life.
Live life to the fullest; leave no stone unturned; leave no gas in our tank at the end of the day. Rest every night exhausted by the efforts of the day and excited about what a new day offers. By bringing a smile to the face of another we become the rainbow in their otherwise cloudy day. In those moments we discover that life’s real joys come from living every day to the fullest.
Every Easter morning, Jesus reminds us “Never give up, nothing is impossible. Clear away the boulder! Nothing is going to stop me now.”
Hallelujah. Happy Easter.