The whole world is beginning to come alive: the trees are budding and blooming, the frogs and crickets start chirping, the bees and ladybugs begin to fly, and the water soaking us from the sky causes the grass to shoot up green and growing. Winter is over; the Easter lilies come to herald news of spring. God's creation is rejoicing.
It's during this time of rejoicing, when the shades of winter are cast aside, that we observe Holy Week, our symbolic reflection and celebration of Christ's suffering, death, and Resurrection.
This is the time when we remember what God has done for us.
Jesus Christ died. Cruelly. Torturously. Tragically. In fact, His death was so horrific that early Christians didn't begin to use the cross as a symbol for themselves until the 4th century, even though other groups, like the Romans, had been using the cross as an identifier for Christians for centuries. As early as the 2nd century, Roman historians called the early Christians "crucis religiosi"---"devotees of the cross," and it was already an early Christian custom to repeatedly trace the sign of the cross on one's forehead, similar to crossing oneself across the chest today.
Yet using the cross as a symbol for Jesus' followers was tantamount to using an iron maiden or an electric chair as a symbol; crosses were equally painful and terrifying torture implements. There was literally no difference in their perceptions of a cross and the gallows---except that a cross was worse. Roman "justice" was cruel...much like the "justice" of the Pharisees.
So when we think about Jesus' death, we have to realize that God didn't just send His Son to die for us. He sent His Son to suffer, to truly and horrifically suffer in agony and die for us.
That's how sinful we are. Think about all the lambs and pigeons and doves and other animals that the Israelites had to sacrifice. The parts of the Bible that deal with Hebrew law are ridiculously long and boring because they had to sacrifice animals, ritually purify themselves, and live in fear of being unclean. The Israelites had to kill animals periodically just to make sure that their sins were forgiven. But even slaughtering all those lambs and doves couldn't help, because the people of the world, Jews and Gentiles alike, were still so sinful that Jesus had to be slowly tortured to death to save us from our own fallibility and weakness to temptation.
Do you see how easy we have it? If we do something wrong, we can find a quiet place and say, "Hey, God, I'm sorry. I did something wrong, and I repent. Please forgive me." And you know what happens? We're forgiven. No catch, no loopholes, no hoops to jump through. If we confess our sins, repent, and change our ways, we are forgiven. That's it. Cut, print, end of story. God lets us in.
"And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:27-28)
Jesus' blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. If we repent and turn away from sin, we are forgiven. No sacrifice necessary---because Jesus was the ulimate sacrifice. He was Heaven's perfect Lamb.
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." (Matthew 27:50-51)
When the temple veil was rent, we gained a direct, one-on-one relationship it with God. We don't need priests or Pharisees or pigeons on the altar. We can speak to God in prayer, like children speaking to their Father, or like someone talking to a friend.
That's all because of Jesus. Because He gave Himself up for us, and was willing to take everything we threw at him, all of our sins across the millennia and across the continents, we don't have to die and suffer for eternity.
A famous Irishman that I admire (Bono) explained it like this:
"The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross."
But the story doesn't end there. The Resurrection conquered the cross; the cross is no longer an instrument of despair, but a symbol of joy. He lives!
Before Jesus was risen, people died and stayed dead. When Jesus came, He changed all of that. No longer was the grave the end of the line; no longer was Death the conquerer.
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
Jesus was resurrected, and because of this, we can rejoice! Not only have we been forgiven and not only have we been given the greatest love imaginable, but we have also been given the gift of eternal life.
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26)
In that Scripture, Jesus was speaking to Martha about the death of her brother Lazarus, the man whom Jesus would bring back to life.
"She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'” (John 11:27)
Martha believed. I believe Him, too.
I also believe that with this gift, we have been given responsibilities as Jesus' disciples.
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20)
Is Easter really the best time to be a Christian?
Easter is the time when we celebrate our forgiveness, when we sing praises to God, when we show thanks for God's love for us, and when we remember those brave disciples who have led us here.
Here at Summit UMC, we place lilies on the altar to remember the disciples who passed on before us. Those disciples, our loved ones, will be with us in Heaven. They have brought us here, to this day.
Now it's our turn. This year, we will follow God's command and bring disciples to Him, because the truth is that every day is the best time to be a Christian.
