An Easter Story

Early in my ministry, I painted houses to help supplement our income. One year during the Easter holiday season, I was painting the house of an older Jewish woman, Mrs. Adleman. She knew that I was a Christian minister and that I was preparing for Easter. We were talking, and then she stopped and said, “I do not know who did that to him,” referring to Christ’s crucifixion on the cross. I told Mrs. Adleman that I did that to Jesus.

She was taken back and surprised to hear that come from me, a Christian minister. As a Jewish woman she probably heard all her life that the Jews had Jesus crucified, and no doubt she heard the antisemitic slurs of “Christ-killers.” Now, here is a Christian minister telling her that he was responsible for the death of Christ on the cross. She was amazed to hear this.

I shared with her that even as John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”  so my sin and my rebellion was taken by Christ to the cross for me for my redemption! That got her attention and planted a seed that day in her heart.

Who are you sharing the good news of Christ with? May we be bold to proclaim the Good News!

OCA President Chris Long