EASTER WHISPERS

Hallelujah! Jesus Christ Arose and is Alive Forever. Celebrate Him!

We celebrate Easter and get carried away by the events of the season, but we really do not think about the ideal ideas behind God's method of redemption; which seems foolish and fictitious to so many people.

On that Good Friday, on an old rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame that stood on a hill far away, Jesus was crucified to His death. He left His glory above, to bear it to dark Calvary. You remember that song by George Bernard? (Paraphrase mine)  “From His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did ever such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?” This is another good one from Isaac Watts. But on the day of His resurrection, “vainly they watched His bed, vainly they sealed the dead, death could not keep his prey, for He tore the bars away, and Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph over His foes, He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose! Hallelujah He arose”! This is from Easter most loved Hymn “Low in the Grave He Lay” by Robert Lowry (paraphrase mine).

Easter is a day mapped out by Christians all over the world to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary as He foretold His disciples. Easter is the grand-finale of the passion of Christ. His teachings and miracles were the theories; His crucifixion and death on the cross are the practicals and production processes of His love and passion for us while His resurrection is the end product, evidence or the confirmation. "Christianity begins where religion ends...with the resurrection." (Herbert Booth Smith) "Easter says you can put truth in the grave but it won't stay there." (Clarence W. Hall)

Many scholars have come up with different events that led to Easter of which majority of the histories point to the fact that it came from a pagan figure called ‘Eastre’ who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. The festival as described was held during the spring equinox to honour the goddess whose symbol is the rabbit known as a symbol of fertility. This celebration is normally associated or focused on Easter eggs and all the fertility stuff.

Whatever the case may be, what we should understand is the fact that “the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof”. (Psalm 24:1) "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and all its fullness. (Psalm 50:12) Even the physical things created by man, together with man’s wisdom and ideas all originated from Him. The fact that some creatures turn His good intentions to evil will not stop Him from enjoying the works of His hands as he deem fit. He can use anybody or anything and can convert any event or situation to His own glory and nobody can question Him. So whether Easter is a pagan idea or not, the fact remains that God has taken back the glory that belong to Him.

Is God Not A Fool To Accept Such Inhumane Death?

We were not there from the beginning when God created the heavens and earth and therefore do not know the proactive measures, standards, principles and ideologies He has set for Himself to guide Him. I feel we are also possessed by His nature and that is why we set rules, principles, etc for ourselves to help us function well on planet earth. It is therefore not for us to question His ways and why He has to send Jesus to redeem mankind through suffering and death. Just thinking……., may be, that is the measure He has established from the beginning and found that it is the best way to redeem mankind; and it has really worked. He arose with countless benefits; keep reading!

The dignity, freedom and authority of man as well as the friendship man enjoyed with God in the beginning were all stolen by the devil at the Garden of Eden. Jesus descended into hell, unlocked the gates of hell, recovered all that man lost and rose from the dead with them. The Zoe that died in Adam was resurrected in Jesus. Today, Easter reminds us that once again we are friends with God and free to use the authority he has given us to His glory. We pay or sacrifice something to get what we need. Jesus sacrificed to give us back our heritage from God that was stolen.

“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”. (Col 2:15) His resurrection disarmed the principalities and powers and restored the dignity of man hence, the disciples of Jesus then and now had reason and courage to continue where Jesus stopped. Because Jesus arose, we can defend ourselves in His name and fight the good fight of faith and come out victoriously.

Principalities and powers, without knowing that they are fulfilling all righteousness, crucified and killed Jesus. The guarding of the grave and the seal that was put on a big stone at the entrance of the tomb are all indications that the devil wants to make sure that the plan of redemption was frustrated. Therefore the resurrection brought the principalities and powers to their knees. They were totally confused because all their philosophies have been brought to naught and their aim defeated. At resurrection, Jesus proved to the world/principalities and powers that indeed, He is the Firstborn of creation. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”. (Col. 1:15) “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy”. (Col. 1:18) There has been commotion in the dark world ever since. They fought Joseph the same way, to ruin his destiny but he ended up as a minister in Pharaoh’s cabinet. In the same way they have fought many wonderful and talented musicians, writers, doctors, actors and actresses, etc. and while some were silenced, others lived above such challenges and attacks and their products are blessing the world.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ made it easy for us to be saved. It is an invitation to all even the worst sinners to accept salvation and thus have access to heaven if they so wish. “Come now and let us reason together saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool”. (Isaiah 1:18) “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:1-2) He paid in full the penalty for sin; purchasing eternal life for all who might believe. His death is more of Him saying: “I am guilty, take me and kill me, but let them go free. I take the responsibility of their sins”. It is now up to us to accept it or not.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ brought new life to Christians. It woke Christians up from slumber so they can overcome their weaknesses and face their challenges of being heirs of the kingdom. It brought a new dawn; restoring the true identity of man which is brought to limelight when man accepts Jesus as his Lord and personal Saviour. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ solidified our faith as Christians. Knowing that Jesus conquered death creates consciousness in us that we can move mountains. ‘He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm”. (Mathew 8:26) The disciples of Jesus couldn’t do much when they were with Him because of lack of faith; even when he died, they scattered but resurrection brought them together and motivated them to work wonders. The faith that triggered our desire to press on amidst all obstacles came in full force because of the resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus taught Christians that eternal life is certain. Today, if we lose a beloved one, we are certain and comforted by the fact that we shall meet again on the last day. “I am the resurrection and life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die”. (John 11:25-26). When at the point of death and if we have Jesus, we are certain that we shall live again because through Jesus we are sure that there is life after death. Isn’t that awesome?

Celebrating Easter is creating a legacy or leaving a memory behind for the present generations to carry on with. There is every reason to pass on the story of the sufferings and the death of Jesus Christ and the reasons behind this story to our children and the generations unborn. Celebrate Jesus Christ! He arose and is alive forever! Ideal olive wishes you a joyous Easter Celebrations.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

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