Now upon us is Easter, when we remember the Resurrection of the Lord, and
the trials he had endured.
A man lived a perfect and sinless life, upright and who obeyed God, and
who taught with authority the way of God. Yet, he was reviled nd despised
by many, especially those in power who feared he would overturn their
authority.
They then conspired to see to it that the Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth
was ended, and sought his life by mean of accusing him of Blasphemy, thus
consigning him to a most accursed death. This, they hoped, would end not
only his ministry, but his influence.
Thus, in the dead of night, they came to where he prayed, and, knowing
where to find him due to a betrayer amongst his closest followers and
friends, they came for him, and took him.
Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour, was taken to trial, and accused falsely.
A man who stood innocent was found guilty, and placed before a reluctant
Roman Governor, who offered a man whom he found no fault or a Murderer
named Bar-Abbas to be released, and they chose the Murderer over Jesus of
Nazareth.
After this, Pilate washed his hands of the affair, but turned over Jesus
to them, and they gave him to the Roman guards who mocked him, beat him
savagely, and tortured him. Upon his head was placed a crown of thorns,
and he was given a purple robe and a reed as they knelt and mocked his
status as �King of he Jews�.
They, at the appointed time, he was taken to the Cross, and nailed upon
it. A more accursed Death there was none, and the manner of Death to
those of this time indicated he amount of a mans life. To hang from a
tree was to be accursed in the law of Moses, and to be so displayed as a
sceptical while death occurred, in agonising pain and slowly, was to be
shown to be a weak, defeated creature.
There, between two thieves, hung Jesus. There, in the most humiliating
way, and defeated. All his friends save John, and Mary of Magdala, and
his Mother, had abandoned him, and he was displayed to be mocked before
all. Broken, humiliated, ruined, defeated. There was no hope.
He hung for hours, but not as long as is normal. Blood loss form the
beating and fasting had secured a quick death, and he expired, there
alone on the Cross.
He was taken town, by kind permission which was granted by Pontius
Pilate, and taken to a borrowed tomb, of Joseph of Arimathaea, and he was
buried in the tomb, dead, and lost.
Low in the grave did the Saviour sit, in Darkness and in the tomb,
engulfed by the Darkness of Death and sin, separated from the light of
all Eternity, God, his Eternal Father.
He had endured the worst of what humanity could offer, and had become the
weakest and most despised thing in all creation, and the most loathsome.
A defeated and broken being, now cast into darkness, forsaken and lost.
But, Gods strength is made perfect in weakness, and in this most stunning
defeat of light and truth at the hands of the most evil ways of man arose
a victory that was won not despite defeat but because of it.
It was jealously, fear, and a need to control that had brought the events
of Jesus� Death, and pride, a pride that couldn�t abide meekness and
Humility, nor the lessons taught this peasant form Galilee.
It was the greatest of evil, and the ugliness and pettiness of humanity
came fourth, but because it struck, and had unleashed its fury upon this
one innocent man, because all the evil was done that could be done unto a
man, can we now find victory over evil.
Even upon the Cross, beaten and dying, Jesus said �Forgive them, Father,
they know not what they do�, and even in the grave could we see that
light of love and hope grow.
And, because man had done its worst, it was now out in the open, and
obvious to all. Now regret, sorrow, and lamentation began.
But sorrow was not to last, and never does last. Upon that great and
first Easter Sunday, we saw the Lamb which had been slain return alive,
and thus conquer Death, offering to us the hope of Eternal life.
Along with death, he defeated pain, and fear, and humiliation. He
defeated pride, and jealousy, and envy. He defeated malice and hatred,
and a need for control.
For Jesus, being God, had surrendered his life and control to others,
allowing them to do what they would with him, even to slay him, and they
who took control did precisely this. But their control trapped them in
greater darkness and evil, and that was made manifest even to them, and
upon the aftermath, how bravely the death was met, even in the most
Humiliating of ways, we see the meekness and humility defeating the pride
and desire for power.
We see greater strength in the man crucified than in they Crucifying.
We also see a man, once dead, alive again after three days.
He rose, and came to us to show us that even Death can be conquered, and
that the evil cannot overtake the good.
In this name do we believe and aspire, and this is the meaning of our
Passover, which is What Easter originated from.
Let us remember the Resurrection of Christ and what it means, and live in
accordance to the liberty form sin e are given by the light of Jesus and
his example.
At this I close, Amen.
Last edited by ZAROVE; 03/23/08 02:11 AM.
