On this Good Friday, we reflect on the Beauty of Easter with this poem written by guest writer, April Erhardt.
The Beauty of Easter
by April Erhardt
I wrote this poem several years ago while my husband was on a year-long deployment with the Marine Corps in Afghanistan. He left me alone in Twentynine Palms, CA raising our seven-year-old son and baby girl and I was broken. I felt alone, angry, sad, and mostly unworthy of love. And I wasn’t choosing joy or loving my family or God well. Christ revealed His love for me in several ways during this time, but Easter played a significant role in drawing me out of the darkness.
I had always celebrated the hope of the resurrection of Christ; that is what Easter meant to me. But for the first time, in my brokenness, I saw the beauty of Christ’s brokenness. When I read the account of the torment Christ endured so that I could be free I felt deeply and personally loved. Christ is God and he chose to love me. The sacrifice Christ made for me inspired this poem. I will forever be in awe of the depth and magnitude of His love.
THAT’S the Beauty of Easter!
“the Beauty of Easter”
Betrayed & condemned,
Lied to & beaten,
Rejected, alone,
Despised & mistreated.
Why did He do it?
Why did He choose
Agony, torment,
His own life to lose?
How could a man,
Though gentle & kind,
Care if I live,
Be willing to die?
Not a mere man,
But God in the flesh,
Suffered for all
So all suffer less.
The Savior of all
Nailed dead between thieves
Til’ the curtain was torn
For all who believe.
I kneeled at the cross,
Broken & stained,
Begging relief from my sins
And their pain.
He wiped my slate clean.
He paid every cost.
He brought all hope back
To a world that was lost.
Servant to all
Yet subject to none.
Forsaking the grave,
Death overcome!
Triumphant & glorious,
Perfect & holy!
Jesus is LORD
And yet He still loves me…
THAT’S the BEAUTY of EASTER!!!!!!
You can read the account of Christ’s torture and crucifixion for yourself in John 19.
If you’re feeling broken and alone this Easter, please reach out to our Prayer Team and submit your requests. It is our honor to pray for you. The one who died for you cares about what you’re going through.
