Easter musings

Holidays are always a little weird for me. I mean, how should I spiritually celebrate them? I often feel pressured to act really spiritual on or around a day like Easter, lest I should defile the day with some careless sin. Or else I try to conjure up an emotional experience, thinking that spiritual holidays should naturally line up with spiritual "mountaintop experiences."

But I think (and the cash value of this is literally less than 2 cents) the important thing to do at a holiday is to slow down and connect with God, in an attitude of thanksgiving. Whatever it is that the particular holiday commemorates, ponder that thing. So on Easter, or around Easter, take time to ponder Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, the love that caused Him to do it, and the power that made it possible. If you can also incorporate other people into this process through fellowship, encouragement, and conversation, then all the better.

In the spirit, then, of meditating on these things, I offer up one cool thought. At the end of a long conversation with His disciples near the end of his life, Jesus said these words:

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will find tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Jesus here offers His friends two great pillars of strength during life's chaos -- His words and the miraculous, triumphant outcome of His life, death and resurrection. By remembering what the Lord had said to them and realizing the wondrous victory He had accomplished, they could persevere through any trial they might suffer.

But what was this victory over? What was it in the world that Jesus declared He had "overcome"? I'm so pleased with the process of answering this question, that I leave it to you to answer. I will reword it, and add a corollary question:

1. When Jesus said, "I have overcome the world," what thing(s) does he mean that he has overcome?
2. Paul says "we are more than conquerors through [Christ] who loved us." Conquerors of what?

I will give you one answer, just to get you started and to celebrate Easter with you. He overcame, and we now conquer through Him... Death!

Here are some verses that explain and/or celebrate Christ's victory over death and our privelege of overcoming death through Him:

We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6:9

For since death came through a man, so also the resurrection from the dead comes from a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive... He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:21-26

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying which is written will come true:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
1 Corinthians 15:54-55

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who was and is and is to come, the Almighty... I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades."
Revelation 1:8,18

He is risen!

Jon

Easter Meditations

This weekend marks the most important celebration in the Christian calendar: the remembrance of Jesus death and celebration of His resurrection. Our entire faith rests on this, that Jesus took on death for us, and in paying for sin, gives us new life. Our sole response is faith, to believe in Him and accept His offer. We can't do anything to save ourselves, Jesus did it all.

I used to get confused as to why the resurrection was such a big deal, reasoning that it was because of the death of Christ that our sin was paid for and that we're saved. The resurrection seemed like almost an afterthought, just a validation of Jesus' claims of deity and ability to pay for sin. It is that, but it is so much more.

I thought I'd take a few moments to share some (emphasis on some - there are many more) of the reasons why the resurrection is so vital to our faith. Without it, our faith wouldn't exist (1 Cor 15:14). My prayer is that you'd have some of these things in mind this Sunday, as we celebrate the greatest victory in all of history, and the most significant day in our year.

1) In the resurrection, Jesus was the first to enter the glorified new life. (1 Cor 15:12-49)

Just as Adam was the first man to enter the life of sin and brokenness, Jesus (the "Second Adam") was the first to enter the glorified perfection that we'll inherit after we die. This isn't to say the Jesus wasn't always perfect, or glorified (He was, and is), but that as a man, Jesus was the "firstfruits", as it says in 1 Cor 15. His resurrected body is a model of the resurrected body that we'll one day have. We'll be raised from the dead with a new, glorified body upon Jesus return and the ushering in of a new Heaven and new earth. I could try to go on, but 1 Corinthians 15 pretty much says it all. Take a moment to read through it.

2) In the resurrection, Jesus defeated spiritual death. (1 Cor 15:50-58)

God gives us the victory over sin and death through Jesus. Amazing! Once we trust in Jesus, we no longer have to fear or worry about spiritual death, separation from God. We can now live at peace with God because our sin is paid for and we have the confident hope of eternity with God.

3) Through the resurrection, Jesus remains alive to this day.

Our God is alive, present, always with us. There is no body in the tomb. When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn't live on earth for a time and then die again; He ascended into Heaven, where He remains at the right hand of the Father. Our relationship with Him is real because He's alive and active.

4) Through His death and resurrection, Jesus opened the door for us to freely approach the Father (John 16:26-27)

In the passage I listed, Jesus says an interesting statement, that He will not ask the Father on our behalf, instead that we will ask God directly in Jesus name. This is significant. Prior to Jesus death and resurrection, people were separated from God and He was unapproachable because of our sin. In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the Holy of Holies of the temple, shielded off by a thick curtain, and only once a year, one man - the high priest - could enter. And even then it was risky - a certain set of things needed to happen first to ensure his purity, and he entered with a chain tied to his ankle in the chance that he'd die in God's holy presence, and the other priests would have to drag him out of the Holy of Holies by his ankle. When Jesus dies, that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), showing that God was now approachable by all, but only through Christ. We, who are in Christ, have our sins paid for, and can now boldly and freely go to God and interact with Him, but we only go to Him in Jesus' name. This is why we pray in Jesus' name, He's the mediator through whom we are able to approach God. He also intercedes for us as He sits at God's right hand.

5) Through the resurrection, Jesus demonstrated His ultimate power and authority over everything. (Colossians 1:15-20)

Think about it - what's the most powerful thing someone could do? What would most demonstrate their authority and power over all things? It would have to be to rise from the dead! What is more final in our world than death? And Jesus defeated it, showing the limitless power of God.

6) Through Jesus' resurrection, He raised us with Him. (Colossians 2:11-14)

Awesome.

7) Through Jesus' resurrection, that very same power dwells in us and works for us. (Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:15-23)

Read and think about what those passages say. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, and gives life to us! How crazy is that? How often do we forget that truth, or neglect to tap into that power? And in Ephesians Paul says that the power that God worked in raising Christ from the dead (the greatest power display ever, remember) is for us and working toward us. Wow! This gives us reason to trust God to fight our battles for us, rather than fight them on our own. He's powerful and more than able to fight for us and win. It also gives us a great truth to keep in mind when, later in Ephesians, Paul says that our battle isn't against flesh and blood but against forces of spiritual darkness. These are intimidating forces, but God's power that was displayed in the resurrection is on our side. We can go to Him and let Him fight Satan and all his schemes for us.

These are just a few of the many, many things we could say about the resurrection. Not to mention all the things that Jesus' death accomplished. We could go on for hours and days and years just proclaiming all that Jesus did through His death and resurrection. As you meditate and reflect on these things this weekend, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section. Let's praise and exalt Jesus together - He is so, so worthy! Praise Him always and forever for who He is and all He's done!!

--Jason