'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' - Isaiah 53:5.

Before Christ came to fulfil His prophesy and save humankind, many people were losing hope due to the struggles they were facing. They were waiting for the sign and token of God's promise to save them. Then Christ came and shared His message of love and hope with many before He was crucified on the cross.

On the day that He was crucified and buried, the atmosphere was low; people began to fear and lose hope again.

However, this changed when the two Mary's went to the tomb to find that the large stone, blocking the tomb, had been rolled away. Then they met with an angel who informed them that Jesus had risen and had left the tomb (Mark 16:1-6).

Jesus was in the tomb temporarily and rose to bring us hope and new life. Many times we often revert back into our tombs when we are burdened or in distress. These tombs in our lives represent darkness, stress, pain and reminders of our past. However, Christ set us free and delivered us from this. We don't need to go back there as we are no longer prisoners of our tombs or defined by our past. The stone that kept us captive has been rolled away; we have risen with Christ and we are free.

The Easter period reminds us of Christ's great love, sacrifice and provision of hope. This is where our focus should be. Look away from your troubles, walk away from your tombs, and look towards God who has our bright future in His hands.

Just as Christ did not lose sight of us when He was on the cross, we shouldn't lose sight of God. Christ's love is strong enough to clear away any grey area or cloud in our lives.

Christ came and provided the ultimate and priceless token of love; by laying down His life on the cross. This token has been implanted into our hearts as a reminder of His unconditional love and mercy. When we look onto God, we can come to the cross, where Christ poured out His love for us to give us new life and courage to face anything that comes our way.

When we fix our focus on God, our hearts become lighter, our minds become clearer and our eyes open to see the full image of Jesus and everything He has for us.

What is in your tomb? Whether it is your past, your pain, worries or difficulties, look away from it because there is nothing for us in there. Look to our risen King, who has taken on our cares and burdens and remains by our side.

This Easter, reflect on God's love and grace. We remain encouraged when we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who endured the cross for us (Hebrews 12:2).

Happy Easter! :)

Esther ♥