|
Many
churches enforce a season of Lent for promoting prayer
and self-denial. Christians in India abstain from meat
and fish and alcohol. However, as soon as Easter comes,
everything changes. As if to make up for the loss during
the Lent season, many Christians give themselves to
binge drinking. Easter is one festival when people
consume the largest amounts of alcohol so much so that
many Christians are down and out by Easter afternoon. It
is unfortunate to see people act contradictorily to the
Word of God. The Bible clearly says “[neither] thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1Cor 6:10)
Palm Sunday demonstrates the significance of abnegation
of the position and pride that this world offers. On
Palm Sunday, Jesus and his disciples entered the city of
Jerusalem. Jesus was the Messiah, the King of the Jews.
He sent his disciples to fetch him a donkey and its
colt. The kings of those days rode on horses, ready to
wage war and conquer. Jesus had no such intentions. He
was the King and He wasn’t going to demonstrate his
power in earthly ways. Seated on a colt, according to
prophecy recorded in the Scriptures, the Son God entered
triumphantly in to the city of Jerusalem. Multitudes
standing on both sides of the road laid their clothes
and palm branches on the street. They shouted ‘Hosanna,’
meaning ‘Save Us,’ to Him. Apparently, the people seemed
to have accepted his claim to the throne of Israel. Such
was the oppression they endured under foreign rule that
they welcomed anyone who gave them a sense of hope.
Any person in public service would aspire such a
popularity. His disciples enjoyed the sudden success and
popularity. They probably thought that Jesus’ day had
come. His ascension to power would mean that He would
drive out the Romans and make the land of Palestine a
true home state of the Jews. The disciples would also
stand to gain from such a victory.
Moreover, the then philosophers and wise men, the
Greeks, wanted to meet Him in appreciation of His
triumph. His answer was contrary to their expectation.
In reply to their demand to meet Him he stated “I tell
you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the
ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if
it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his
life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in
this world will keep it for eternal life” (John
12:24-25). Jesus clearly saw what lie ahead in the city
for him. He could see the cross beyond the rousing
welcome he received in the old city.
Good Friday illustrates the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus
Christ for mankind. The power of forgiveness and of
God’s favour upon men are manifest in the cross.
Initially, Jesus Christ knew Judas, one of His twelve
disciples, was going to betray Him. Nevertheless, He
bore Judas for more than 3 years and accommodated him in
His circle of disciples. We see how Jesus demonstrated
the ultimate example of submission to God’s will by
inducting someone who would later betray and desert his
cause.
Secondly, through Jesus’ atoning death on the cross, we
have forgiveness of sins. “Atonement” refers to the
death of Jesus Christ on a cross under the wrath of God.
When God’s wrath fell on Jesus, it was sufficient to
quench the divine decree of justice. It took away God’s
wrath from humanity. And yet, to appropriate this
benefit, we need to place our trust in Jesus and what He
accomplished for us through his death and resurrection.
All who believe in Jesus can avail of this. Those who
confess their sins to Jesus will be forgiven. And thus,
God’s wrath will be taken away from them.
Once our sins are forgiven, we make Jesus’ death our own
death through water baptism. And as we rise out of the
waters, God makes Jesus’ resurrection our own. He then
counts us as dead and risen again – with Jesus. Thus,
these new Christians can live a life of victory over
sin. They can consider themselves dead to sin and alive
to God. Jesus imparts to all who believe the power to
die to one’s sins and live for God’s righteousness (1
Pet. 2:24).
God diffused Satan’s weapon of accusation by taking away
sin’s punishment from us and by laying it upon Jesus.
Jesus was condemned and punished for our sins. Thus, in
one stroke, God punished sin and saved humanity from
sin’s punishment. He disarmed the devil so that a child
of God can always have victory on him. The devil can no
more defeat a person who wholeheartedly submits to the
will of God. This was made possible through Jesus
Christ’s victory on evil by His goodness.
Thirdly, Easter reminds us of the victory of Jesus
Christ over death. Jesus who conquered death is now
proven capable of giving everlasting life to all who
believe in Him. Therefore, a true follower of Jesus need
not fear death. Death is but a doorway that leads to
eternal life. Jesus said that He holds the key of death
and Hades (the place of the dead).
Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most remarkable fact
of the history. People often demand evidence for the
historicity of such an event. The witness of the
apostles and the gospels are a part of history. The
witness of the early church too is a testimony to the
resurrection of Jesus.
The disciples of Jesus were overcome by fear the night
Jesus was arrested. Peter, the foremost of the apostles,
denied Jesus thrice out of fear. However, the risen Lord
Jesus appeared to them in their closed room. He
encouraged them and commissioned them to spread his good
news to the ends of the world. Just over a month after
the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were
supercharged by the power of the Holy Spirit and they
began their proclamation. Those who once were afraid to
identify themselves with Jesus were now transformed into
a pack of brave men and women who were bold enough to
face persecution, imprisonment and execution. Ten out
Jesus’ twelve disciples were martyred for Christ. Had
Jesus not resurrected, none of them would have placed
their life at risk.
The power of Jesus’ resurrection continues to transform
believers throughout the world. The story of the gospel
and its victorious march across continents is a
testimony to the power of Jesus and his life.
Let this Easter be an occasion for receiving forgiveness
from God and for forgiving others. Let the power of
Jesus’ resurrection be manifested through our lives. May
it transform many individuals and communities and
nations.
|
