Take Off the Grave Clothes

I just got home from a Good Friday prayer vigil. It has been a great day. People coming in and out, spending time in prayer and worship. During that time I had a thought. When Jesus rose triumphant from the grave, he left behind the grave clothes.

Grave clothes were "the last suit you would ever wear." The stuff that wrapped dead bodies in early Jewish culture. The grave clothes that Jesus left behind represent the sins of the world which he came to cleanse us of. They represent the violence of his death, the mockery and scorn that he endured on the cross. He rose triumphant over those things. He left them behind.

Whether we want to admit or not, many of us are wearing them right now. Our grave clothes are the things in our lives that stifle our spirits and lead us to death. Like Jesus there are things that we need to leave behind. What are your grave clothes? It is time for them to come off. Time to leave them behind and embrace the full life that Christ wants you to live.

Have a blesses Easter