On this Easter Sunday, Christians worldwide celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion.
Easter is also the end of the 40-day penance period, Lent. Good Friday marks the day Jesus died on the cross, and is celebrated the Friday before Easter.
The sun which rises in the East, bringing light, warmth, and hope, is a symbol for the Christian of the rising Christ, who is the true Light of the world.
The Holy Bible, from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, includes a passage often associated with the suffering and sacrificial nature of Jesus Christ, particularly in Christian theology.
Here is the full passage from Isaiah 53:3-4 (NIV):
"He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted."
This passage is often interpreted as prophetic, foretelling the suffering and rejection that Jesus would endure during his earthly ministry and ultimately his crucifixion, seen by Christians as a fulfillment of God's plan for salvation. It speaks to the theme of redemption through suffering and sacrifice.
Amen... And so it goes.
This image is from City Island - A Slice of NYC Paradise captured by Ron Terner.