We lift our hands as we worship You,
You have made us Yours,
We lift our hearts as we honour You,
You have made us clean,
For You are our Sabaoth,
Our King and our Rest,
For You are our Righteousness,
Yeshua, Yeshua!🎵🎶
If we share contacts and you view WhatsApp statuses often, there’s a possibility you’ve seen these heart-lifting lyrics on my timeline or seen me use the song a few times as a caption for a picture I posted, or probably this song has been your anthem for a while now as well, as it has been mine.
Either way, we can agree that there’s a beautiful and powerful message in those lyrics, and today, we will be discussing where it all began, the very foundation that has made the song make sense to us beyond just the captivating lyrics! Also, if you would love to listen, the song’s title is ‘Yeshua’ by Revd. Femi Olaleye. (In case you’ve ‘caught’ me posting it a few times, don’t be tired of me yet, because I think I just got started😁).
You thought I would forget to say hi to you? Nah, it’s not going to happen! I wish you could see me smiling while typing this. Believe me, it’s always a privilege and a joy to write to you, knowing that you will be on the other side to read. My beloved tribe member, welcome to a new post!
Actually, that is not my main greeting, at least not for today! We’re celebrating something significant in all of time and history, the triumphant life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ! It is with joy and excitement that I say “Happy Easter” to you and yours! I hope you had a great time celebrating the season with its true essence in mind- having reflections and a stance of gratitude for the finished work that got you saved.
Let me share something interesting with you. While I was trying to figure out the best topic that captured this post, the title “Exchange Rate: Easter Special” came to my mind. It sounded like a beautiful title, but I wondered what it would mean at first read (if we are on the same page, then we can agree that it has some kind of finance-related or advertisement undertone).
So, I went online to check for possible meanings that people could read to it, and one of the feedback Meta AI gave was “a special exchange rate deal for Easter, offering discounts or benefits for currency exchange transactions”, among other deductions. I was like “Wow, interesting!” Well, while this is good for the money market, I bring you even greater news!
The meaning I will draw from the topic and which will be our focal point for this post is this: The reality and having the knowledge of what we now have in Christ and all that went in as payment and a means of exchange to get us transitioned from death to life and from darkness to light is what has made Easter indeed special, remarkable, and worth celebrating!
Wow, I feel like screaming! As a result of the whole redemption and transition process, we got beyond just discounts, benefits, holidays, offers, and services, which are good stuff by the way! We were, and are insured for life! The insurance plan is not just any kind that is going to eventually fade out with the passing of the world, it is for eternity! This is what we are celebrating, both during this season and every day of our lives. Without the exchange, there would have been no cause for celebration.
Now, let’s be honest, did you get the context of the title immediately after you saw it, or were you confused for a minute, wondering whether we now deal in currency exchange😁. But again, I believe the featured image attached to this post already gave it away. Anyway, I would love to read your response to this in the comments.
If we fail to truly reflect on this exchange rate, I mean what it took to get us saved and transitioned, this season would just come and go like every other one in our lives without really appreciating its true value or helping others who are yet to get on board see the value of what we are celebrating and come into their laid-down and already-prepared inheritance.
Having said all of the above, let’s check out the exchange rate together. My reference point is Romans 5, precisely from verses 12 to 21. It’s a long read, but I would really love you to go through the passage. May I offer you my two cents? Don’t just read the most popular version alone (you know which is😁), kindly try other versions to better understand and appreciate the context and content.
The first point I drew and I’d like to mention is this; in exchange for one man’s sin, and seeing as we all were in that man at the time as offsprings (unborn children), death came into the world. The death here goes beyond the physical, even though it’s also a part of it. It goes beyond just being buried after breathing one’s last, there’s a deeper sense to it. The death signifies eternal separation from God. This would have been our lot, but Mercy said no (like a songwriter says)!
Then came the second and perfect Adam, the Man Christ Jesus, the One who is God but brought Himself down to our level so He could relate with and to us in every way! When He came, He didn’t come alone! He came bearing forgiveness, and our earlier-announced death sentence by sin was exchanged for a life sentence because He gave Himself! What a God, what a Man!
Again, the pronouncement sin brought was not done with us. It was so ready to take us to the grave forever, giving legal judgments of condemnation sealed by the handwriting of ordinances that were against us. But again, something good happened- the One who went about doing good throughout His sojourn on earth sacrificed Himself, and that led us to the place of justification and acceptance by God, the point where our records of wrongs were wiped out, and the slate was wiped clean!
When sin struck back then, it put us in a state of separation from God and uncleanness. Multiple sacrifices of animals as we read in the Old Testament could not remove the sins, the sacrifices went on year in, year out. Imagine if that was still going on to date, do you know how many pigeons or cattle you would have killed this year? Perhaps that shouldn’t even be the first question. Do you know the cost of a good cattle and one without blemish at that? How on earth would we have been able to sustain making the sacrifice for days, running into weeks, months, and year after year? I can only imagine the amount of debt people would be in!
However, just one time, and for all, even for generations unborn, we found a perfect sacrificial lamb in the person of Christ. This sacrifice has brought us to the place of reconciliation with God and to a state of righteousness being credited into our account. One person said no, and we found ourselves in the wrong. Then came one person’s ‘yes’ to God, and we were made right with Him. How amazing that is!
Now, we who once were far off and away can come boldly to the Father because we are now His! In His providence, God saw our state of helplessness and reached out to us in love even before we realized that we needed saving. It didn’t just end at that! By the time we came to our senses and decided we needed a way of escape, the work was already done, and the Father was already waiting for us with His arms spread wide! All we had to do was run into His waiting arms.
In Christ giving Himself up and paying the debt we owed but could never pay on our own, innumerable children were gained! What a gainful and profitable exchange! The most beautiful part is this; he didn’t just give Himself as the sacrifice. He didn’t just die and stay dead. He rose triumphantly, defeating death, sin, and the grave! Now, He has made us co-heirs with Him. What a true access!
As if all that was not enough, He didn’t just go back to where He came from, leaving us stranded and comfortless in this world where all kinds of things happen. He gave us the promise of the Comforter, the precious Holy Spirit, and He fulfilled it! What a promise-keeper, what a covenant-keeping God!
What a blessing we have received to have the same God reside in us and work out what will give Him pleasure in every aspect of our lives! Can you count how many times you have been so grateful you had the Holy Spirit give you directions on how to navigate life? It’s such a beautiful thing to know that the One who saved us is still preserving us in Him, and making sure that nothing takes us away from Him.
In case you thought that’s all that there is to our relationship with Him, that’s not true! Before He left the earth, He gave us an assurance that He would return to get us and bring us to be with Him forever. Because He has a track record of keeping His word, we can count on that promise with eager expectation and joy! We will meet Him again, and we shall see Him as He is!
This is the summary of our exchange rate in Christ, and there are a lot of beautiful things to say. I’m sure you have heard or seen this same grace story talked about in different ways. Can you now see how much value has been placed on you? Your life was, and is worth the life and the precious blood of Jesus Christ! Why not make it count for yourself and your loved ones by coming to terms with all that has been done for you and accepting it wholeheartedly?
If you would love to be a partaker of this inheritance (and I strongly believe you should), it all starts with believing all that has been said in your heart. Then, you can take it a step further by confessing with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and that you believe in all He did to bring you to Himself. Have you done that? Boom, you are saved! My latest sibling in Christ, big congratulations to you! Welcome to the family where we have God’s name as our last name, literally our surname!
To sustain this new journey you’ve just begun, please plug yourself into a family of faith. Join a gathering of believers where you can grow and be fed with the sincere word of God. You can maintain a relationship with Him by reading His word daily, He has literally placed Himself in your hands. Also, you can speak with Him about anything and everything. He wants to hear your voice!
I’m glad to have come this far with you in this post! Thank you for staying till the very end, despite your beeping messages and other chores and commitments. Kindly remember to drop a comment and follow the blog’s social media handles. Again, I wish you a Happy Easter celebration!❤️
