Remembering what lies at the heart of Easter message
If one were to describe the thrust of the Christmas message as the unseen God entering time and space in the form of a human being, one could then describe the Easter message as God’s expression of love in order to save and redeem the human family from eternal death and destruction.
Easter is not an incident that takes place in isolation. A 40- day period of preparation referred to as Lent, prepares the way for the commemoration of Holy Week which culminates with the feast of the resurrection or the celebration of Easter.
On Good Friday, Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who after being falsely accused of conspiring against the Roman Empire, is betrayed for a price by one of his closest friends, a disciple named Judas Iscariot. After Jesus’ arrest, He is subject to a most ridiculous trial and thereafter sentenced to death by hanging on a cross. The manner in which the death sentence was carried out must also be understood in its context.
While there were many different forms of execution or capital punishment at that time, crucifixion was reserved for the worst of offenders. To be executed by crucifixion meant that the one being put to death was going to face a slow and painful death. Further, in the time of Jesus, the cross was not just a symbol of death, it was also a symbol of shame and pain. Execution in this manner was a form of sentence given to the worst of offenders who had been found guilty by the legal system of that time of a very serious crime. The narrative however, did not end with the doom and gloom of Good Friday for Jesus’ death on the cross was not without meaning and purpose. If the crucifixion that took place on Good Friday was just the tip of the iceberg, the best was yet to come and come it did at that first resurrection on Easter day.
As we reach the core of the story one may wonder what was God’s intention in and through all these redemptive acts that were unfolding in and through the life of Jesus? Believe it or not, the intention of God was to bring healing to a broken relationship. The relationship between God and the pinnacle of His creation, the human family, had been disrupted by a single act of disobedience.
To understand or appreciate this we may need to try and understand the manner in which the God of history has been at work from the very beginning of time. If you are familiar with the Holy Bible, the sacred scriptures of the Christian faith, there is a golden thread that holds the 66 different books over two Testaments (Old and New). That golden thread can be summed up in the four letter word Love.
The Love demonstrated by the person of Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, God’s visible revelation in human history is a selfless and sacrificial love. This is best described in the Greek word agape which is “Love as revealed in Jesus, seen as spiritual and selfless and a model for humanity.”
Therefore, at the heart of the Easter message we discover so much that is relevant to life today. Easter reminds us that in God’s eyes everything is not doom and gloom and that death did not bring an end to it all. While we are cautioned about the tyranny of death, in and through the message of Easter, we are also reminded of something far more meaningful and valuable that awaits those who believe in and affirm faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is life! For just as from the grave life emerges, the pain and agony of Good Friday makes way for life and joy with the celebration of the resurrection at Easter.
Besides this, it is important to realise how the essence of the Easter message impacts the everyday lives of people. It is amazing and it needs to be understood that it is this Gospel imperative that emerges from this story that influences and gives shape to the teaching of the Church with regard to peace, reconciliation and the dignity of humanity (both men and women) and with it we discover what lies at the heart of God.
Therefore, we should not only be content by striving to be only reconciled to God but also strive to be reconciled to one another and the creation (the environment). This is an important truth we must not lose sight of but constantly keep working towards. As this gradually becomes a reality the whole of creation will be at peace (shalom) and true peace (shalom) will be experienced in the world.
(The writer is Archdeacon of Colombo, and Vicar of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour)