Actress Jen Lilley, a regular on Great American Family (GAF), is sharing a deeply personal Easter message. She created two video devotionals for the network.
Great American Family initially approached Jen Lilley to create one Easter video.
However, her enthusiasm for the project led her to produce both a Palm Sunday reflection and an Easter message debuting this weekend.
“I just get extremely excited when I talk about Jesus,” she confesses. The actress is a familiar face on Great American Family.
She’s known for starring in heartwarming films like “Paris Christmas Waltz” and “B&B Merry.”
In her devotionals, she explores the connection between the ancient Jewish festival of Passover and the events of Christ’s passion.
This connection between Passover and Christ’s passion is rarely emphasized in popular Christian media. It reflects both actress Jen Lilley’s growing faith and a broader interest among some evangelicals in exploring Christianity’s Jewish roots
Christ as our “final Passover lamb”
Lilley declares in the videos, emphasizing God’s boundless love, taking the most difficult route to adopt us as His children.
This accessible, heart-focused approach to theology mirrors the tone of many GAF productions.
Yet, her message offers potential depth beyond sentimentality, inviting thoughtful reflection on a central Christian doctrine: substitutionary atonement.
While not explicitly using this terminology, Lilley hints at the idea of Christ bearing the punishment for our sins.
Lilley’s emphasis on Christ as our “final Passover lamb” offers a poignant perspective, particularly for those less acquainted with the Bible.
This image subtly points towards the concept of Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
Christians have long recognized the foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, with the Passover lamb being one prime example.
Even without explicit theological commentary, her devotion might nudge viewers toward exploring how these narratives interlock.
Jen Lilley: “I was just sobbing in awe of the Lord”
Her comments highlight Christ as our “high priest,” granting “access to the holy of holies,” referencing the significance of the temple veil.
This symbol speaks to Christians’ new relationship with God, made possible through Christ’s sacrifice.
Lilley’s joyful presentation translates this profound truth for a broader audience.
For those unfamiliar with Jewish temple practices, this could spark fruitful curiosity about the Old Testament context of Christian theology.
Lilley reveals that her study of Passover began while filming in Romania, adding a layer of personal connection to the message.
“I was just sobbing in awe of the Lord,” she recalls.
This genuine emotional response resonates with Christianity Today’s readership.
They tend to value intellectual understanding of the faith alongside personal, transformative encounters with God.
While Lilley’s devotionals primarily focus on celebration and gratitude, they subtly challenge Christians to consider the cost of their salvation.
Additionally, they have the potential to gently introduce core theological concepts to people less familiar with the Church language.
Her accessible style, while not replacing in-depth Bible study, might be the first step on some viewers’ faith journeys.
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