“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53: 4-5, ESV).

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate an empty tomb. We celebrate the joy of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We celebrate new life in and through Christ. We celebrate forgiveness and God’s amazing love. For me, Good Friday is a day to remember all of those things. But it is also a day of remembering death and pain; of remembering the cost to God of my sinfulness; of a tomb that wasn’t empty but in which the body of Jesus was placed. It is a day of humbly realising my need for God and His grace. And a day of gratitude that He meets that need.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend, filled, not only with special times with loved ones, but also with the peace and joy that comes from personally knowing the deeper meaning behind this holiday.

*Huge thanks again to my sister for letting me use another photo, also taken at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.