April 2026

“And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” Genesis 22:8.

There are many blessed passages in scripture that prophecy of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This April we rejoice when we consider the events of Good Friday and Easter, not just as history, but as a personal confirmation of the work that our Savior performed for each one of us.

We can read of the many times that our Savior reminded his disciples, and those that were with him, of the mighty plan of redemption, and that He would have to suffer and ultimately die for the sins of the people and then rise again for their eternal hope and promise of eternal life. This is the whole story of the Bible, to show us and teach us that we indeed need a Savior, and then show, teach, and reveal to us this Savior who performed this work for our eternal redemption.

This world is filled with many people with many hearts, but one thing we all have in common is that each of us personally needs this Savior and this hope of Eternal Life. We cannot consider eternity with a peace in our hears and a confidence of obtaining eternal life without this personal knowledge that it is because of what Jesus has done to earn our salvation that grants us this confidence. We of ourselves have done nothing.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”. Isaiah 53:3-6.

Jesus cried out on Good Friday “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34. Here we see as our Savior suffered and died on the cross, the great love that flowed from His lips and the cleansing blood that flowed forth from His holy wounds to cleans us, to purify us, to forgive us, to make us perfect in His Fathers sight. We preach this glorious gospel to all the broken and contrite and penitent ones that find themselves helpless of their own to make themselves better, all who have no hope in themselves. All who find that there is nothing else in all the world that can pacify the hurt, the pain, the sorrow, the guilt, the shame of sin, of iniquity, and the wrong. This is how we come to see ourselves when God’s Holy and eternal word finds us right where we are, when the Holy Spirit reveals to us our sin. We find like Scripture states, we have all gone astray, we know not what we do. We rejoice that God through His word and by His Holy Spirit reveals these matters to us and points us to this Sacrifice where we find cleansing, forgiveness, healing, comfort, peace, hope, faith, strength, and all the good that comes from our Savior when we by faith believe on Him. We rejoice also, that our dear Savior so personally speaks to us, comforts us, loves us, and continues to reveal Himself to us, more and more.

We ask of our Heavenly Father, of our Lord Jesus, of the Holy Spirit, that They would reveal and perfect these matters, in all of our minds and hearts. Today we rejoice, that for a surety, we know that this is not just a story, but this is the very essence of our lives of faith. We hold fast to these promises, and we remind each other again and again, of this finished work of redemption that was performed for each one of us. Although it happened so long ago, it is as real and personal today as it was then. We move forward in life toward eternity with this hope of eternal life because of this work of redemption, because we have a risen Lord Jesus that sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven interceding for each one of us.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For is we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.

In God’s Peace, and a Blessed Easter to all of you!

Mark Traffie