resurrection

Remembrance of Me

Abbie Smith — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:15:42 -0700

If Easter really happened, I may rest, allowed to loose my hands from the outcomes of this day, flying freely from an identity beyond my own. Hope of Glory now resides within, the wings of Christ, from which I can do nothing without.

If Easter really happened,
the Sacrifice is finished, my penalties paid in full.
Pain no longer goes without Counsel, nor suffering empathy’s Perfection.
Union no longer without Communion, nor the body apart from the soul.

If Easter really happened, the Savior says, Be still, my beloved, and cast your cares upon me.
My blood is your cleansing—my crucified body the Way to resurrected living.
Where you are weak, tired, inadequate and insecure, I seek you.
Where you are ashamed, unlovable, disappointed and lonely, I love you.
Where you are addicted, adulterous, guilty and greedy, I call you My own.
Where you are, I invite you, Into me, your Hope of Glory.
Where you are, beloved, forever there with you, I will be.

It is my utmost loss to live as if Easter didn’t happen,
For if Easter really happened
I am forgiven.
From all.
Forevermore.
With but a task of returning Home to such Love
as often as Grace should help me remember.

Did Christianity Copy From Pagan Religions?

Dave Sterrett — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:55:23 -0800

In one of the scenes of the Coffeehouse Chronicles, my new novella series, Nick a student who is questioning his own Christian faith, watches the popular Zeitgeist YouTube video.

The video tells a story about religious leaders throughout history who had similar characteristics to Jesus. The video implied that Christianity simply plagiarized from other religious stories that were circulating years before. Names like Attis of Greece, Krishna of India, Dionysus of Greece, and Mithra of Persia were included in the video. The narrator described how these religious leaders, based on astrology were born on December 25, born of virgin, discovered by a star in East, adorned by three kings, became a teacher at twelve, baptized and started ministry at thirty, had twelve disciples, and performed miracles, were known as the “Lamb of God,” “The Light,” crucified, buried for three days, and resurrected.

Perhaps, you are familiar with the video, but I want you to pretend you are sharing your faith with a young critic who has been influenced by this theory. What are some solid responses you can give to critic who says Christianity stole from pagan religions. If you have never seen the Zeitgeist video, take a look:

There are multiple responses in books 1 and 3 of the Coffeehouse Chronicles. Jamal, a doctoral student cites responses from several scholars. Here are few.

Dr. J. Smith of the Encyclopedia of Religion writes, ‘The category of dying and rising gods, once a major topic of scholarly investigation, must now be understood to have been largely a misnomer based on the imaginative reconstructions and exceedingly late or highly ambiguous texts.’”[1]

Dr. Greg Boyd, who earned his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Dr. Paul Rhodes Eddy, who earned his doctorate at Marquette write:

The very category of ancient “dying and rising gods” has been called into question by most contemporary scholars. In short, when each of these myths is analyzed in detail, it turns out that either there is no actual death, no actual resurrection, or no actual “god” in the first place![2]

Not only are the differences far more profound than the alleged similarities, but as Sean McDowell notes, “Parallels prove nothing.” Sean asks, “What if I told you about a British ocean liner that could carry 3000 passengers, had a top cruising speed of 24 knots, and had an inadequate number of lifeboats? What if I told you that this ocean liner hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage, which tore a hold in the side of the ship causing it to sink along with 2000 passengers? Mostly likely you would think this was the Titanic. But you would be mistaken. I am describing the Titan, a fictional ship described in Morgan Robertson’s book, The Wreck of the Titan. It was written 14 years before the sinking of the Titanic. While the similarities between the two accounts are striking, they do nothing to undermine the historical evidence for the Titanic.”

Even a similar story did exist, this would not undermine the historical evidence of Christ life, burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea , the resurrection and eyewitness accounts of Christ’s appearances.

In our book, the students watch this debate about the uniqueness of Christ resurrection with Dr. Habermas and Tim Callahan:

What are your thoughts?

[1] J. Z. Smith, “Dying and Rising Gods.” In Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. M. Eliade, vol. 4 (New York: Macmillan, 1987), 521., quoted by Gregory A. Boyd and Paul Rhodes Eddy, Lord or Legend? (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007), 53.

[2] Gregory A. Boyd and Paul Rhodes Eddy, Lord or Legend? (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007), 53.

Reality of the Resurrection -- Part 3

Brett Kunkle — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:11:17 -0700

What do these facts point to? That Jesus Christ is no longer dead. His resurrection explains all five facts very well. The minimal facts give us solid evidence He has risen indeed. However, that won’t stop the skeptic from offering other explanations. When you encounter one, remember this: just because an alternative explanation is possible, it does not make it probable. Anyone can give a different explanation but we want one that best fits the facts.

For example, some scholars suggest the disciples stole Jesus’ body. Does that fit the facts? No way. It doesn’t explain the resurrection appearances of Jesus. It doesn’t explain Paul or James’ conversions. Indeed, if the disciples stole Jesus’ body then they knew his resurrection was a hoax. But why would they die for something they knew was false? They wouldn’t and thus, we can discard this possible explanation.

Facts are stubborn things. And after looking at the cold hard facts surrounding the end of his life, the best explanation is that Jesus rose bodily from the grave almost 2,000 years ago.

And Jesus changes everything. Not just any Jesus but a resurrected Jesus.

First, a resurrected Jesus confirms the truth of Christianity. Our faith is not founded on a fairytale. It’s founded on fact. Jesus declared Himself to be God, to be equal with the Father, to forgive sins, to be the only way to God and a host of other radical claims. His resurrection is confirmation of the truth of those claims. Thus, we can have total confidence Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

Second, a resurrected Jesus makes transformation possible. Sin no longer has to dominate our lives. There’s a new way to be human. Paul, an eyewitness to the risen Jesus, explains: “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:10-11). If the power of God’s Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, cannot that same power transform you and I? Absolutely.

Lord Jesus, let the truth of Your resurrection bring transformation to our lives.

Reality of the Resurrection -- Part 2

Brett Kunkle — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:02:15 -0700

Do we have any facts that support the historical resurrection of Jesus? Absolutely. And we won’t just use arguments from guys on our side. To make the strongest possible case, we’ll rely on those facts that virtually all scholars who study this subject agree upon, including critics of Christianity. Resurrection scholars Gary Habermas and Michael Licona call this the “minimal facts” approach.

Notice, this approach does not require us to defend an error-free Bible. It does not require us to show the Bible is the inspired word of God. Although important issues, inerrancy and inspiration are not essential to our case for the resurrection. Instead, the minimal facts approach lets us build common ground with the critic. Basically we’re saying to the skeptic, “You show me your historical facts and I’ll show you how they are evidence for the historical resurrection of Jesus.”

So, what are the minimal facts? Habermas and Licona list five:

FACT #1: Jesus died by Roman crucifixion.
Not only is Jesus’ crucifixion recorded in all four gospels, but non-Christian sources report the event too. Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus are just a couple of those sources.

And remember, virtually all scholars accept this fact.

FACT #2: The disciples believed they had seen the risen Jesus.
Scholars recognize two important pieces of evidence for this fact. First, the disciples claimed to have seen the risen Jesus. Paul lists the eyewitnesses in I Corinthians 15:3-8:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

By the way, it’s legit to cite the Bible here. Even critical scholars believe I Corinthians is an authentic letter written by Paul. At this point, we’re simply using it as a source of ancient history, not as an inspired book of the Bible. Thus, we have a reliable list of people who believed they saw resurrection appearances of Jesus.

Second, the disciples really believed they had seen Jesus such that it totally transformed them. Jesus their leader had been brutally killed before their eyes. Understandably, they split. Peter even denies Jesus three times. But something happened, transforming them from cowards who abandoned Jesus to courageous men who risked life and limb for His message. They didn’t just claim Jesus rose, they really really believed it.

And remember, virtually all scholars accept this fact.

FACT #3: Saul of Tarsus (Paul), an enemy of the church, converted because he believed he had seen the risen Jesus.
Before his Road-to-Damascus experience, Paul tried to destroy the Christian church. He beat Christians, imprisoned them, and killed them. But suddenly, he converts to Christianity. Why? Paul and Luke both report it was because he believed the resurrected Jesus had appeared to him.

And remember, virtually all scholars accept this fact.

FACT #4: James, the brother of Jesus and a skeptic, converted because he believed he had seen the risen Jesus.
The Gospels tell us James was skeptical of Jesus’ ministry (Mark 3:21; John 7:5). He was unconvinced. However, James eventually converts and is even martyred for his faith in Jesus. What transformed this skeptic into a believer? He believed he saw the risen Jesus. Remember the eyewitness list in I Corinthians 15? Verse 7 tells us “[Jesus] appeared to James.”

And remember, virtually all scholars accept this fact.

FACT #5: The tomb of Jesus was empty.
Where was Jesus publicly executed? In Jerusalem. Where did the disciples start proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection? In Jerusalem. Think about those two facts, together. How does Christianity get started if Jesus corpse is still in the tomb? It doesn’t. Jewish and Roman leaders simply pull out the dead body and game over. But that didn’t happen. The disciples preach the resurrection in the very city Jesus is crucified. That’s only possible if the tomb is empty.

This is the one fact not accepted by “virtually all scholars.” However, Gary Habermas found that about 75% of scholars buy this one and that’s still a large majority.

There you have it—five historical facts that need an explanation.

(Continued tomorrow...)

Reality of the Resurrection -- Part 1

Brett Kunkle — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:15:25 -0700

Last Sunday millions of Christians celebrated Easter. But if the bones of Jesus were found tomorrow, would you walk away from Christianity? You should.

Why? Because faith in a dead Jesus is worthless. Even the Apostle Paul says so. In I Corinthians 15:14, he writes, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Did you catch that? The bones of Jesus would make our faith useless.

C’mon Paul, isn’t that kind of harsh? No and here’s why. Imagine a group of people who have dedicated their lives to Peter Pan. They construct a beautiful building to gather in celebration of Pan’s life. They sing songs to him and tell stories about his wonderful deeds. What would you think about such a group? What a waste of life. Peter Pan is a fairytale. We should feel sorry for such people.

Well, if Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave, then Christianity is a fairytale. Just like Peter Pan, it’s make believe and Christians are wasting their lives. And what should people think about us? Paul concludes that if Christ hasn’t been raised, “we are to be pitied more than all men” (verse 19).

So, when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, what’s at stake for Christians? Everything.

How in the world do we show that a 2,000-year-old event actually happened? Mary Magdalene didn’t whip out her flip camera and record footage of the resurrected Jesus. The disciples didn’t snap post-resurrection photos on their iPhones and then upload them to Facebook for all their friends to see. So what’s a historian to do? Two things in particular:

#1 – Find the facts: Historians rely on historical data like archeology, ancient documents and recorded eyewitness testimony to reconstruct the past. In addition, certain principles guide them in determining which historical accounts are reliable and which are not. For example, if there are several independent sources reporting the same event, that’s pretty reliable history. If those sources are actual eyewitnesses and not secondhand reports, that’s pretty reliable history. If those eyewitness accounts are closer in time to the actual event, that’s pretty reliable history. Given this process of investigation, historians can discover historical facts.

#2 – Find the best explanation: Once the historian has gathered her facts, she looks for an explanation that fits the facts. She has to determine if the facts support an alleged historical event. Sometimes she concludes “yes” and sometimes “no.” There are plenty of times when there just aren’t enough facts so the historian simply says, “We don’t know what really happened.” Since there is no video footage for most of human history, the honest historian does her best to the follow the facts to the best possible explanation.

(Continued tomorrow...)

Resurrected Jesus, Resurrected Us (5 Days in 4 Gospels: Bonus Easter Post)

John Barry — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 06:00:00 -0700

When Jesus is resurrected, we are resurrected. He overcame death, so that we may do the same. He died so that we may live sinless lives, not go on sinning. With Jesus, we can be restored to right relationship with God. We can be new creations.

Here’s the back story: Resurrected Servant Prophesied.

“Yet Yahweh was pleased to crush [the servant]; he afflicted [him] (with sickness). If [Zion or Jerusalem] places his life a guilt offering. He will see offspring, he will prolong days and the will of Yahweh in his hand will succeed. From the trouble of his life he will see light. He will be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:10–11, my translation).

Here’s the front story: Resurrected Jesus.

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.’ And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:1-12, ESV).

Here’s the now story: Resurrected Us

“Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father [so that] we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:4–5, ESV).“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ [they are a] new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, ESV, adapted).

May Jesus resurrect our lives. May our suffering servant make us new creations.

The Cross and the Tomb: Easter

Holly Ordway — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

“Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Rom 6:8). We have died with Christ; we have suffered the agony of our sin that He carried for us on the cross; we have failed Him, fled from Him, come back in shame and sorrow to kneel beside His tomb.

And then – into the darkness of Holy Saturday shines the light of Easter. An empty tomb. Shock, fear, awe, joy. “He is not here, for he has risen” (Mt 28:6).

Now, only now, can we raise our voices in praise with Paul: “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him” (Rom 6:9). Christ is risen – not a legend, not a hope, not a spirit, but the Son of God in new, strangely transformed life, the firstfruit of the new creation.

Christ is risen! And that changes – everything. “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:10-11).

Christ is risen! How can we sing out loudly enough to convey the joy, the utter and earth-shaking joy of those words? It is the pivot-point of history. It is the sure foundation for everything in our life and work and worship. It means that Jesus is the world’s true Lord – that Jesus, and not Caesar, is God. Christ is risen! How can we find language to carry that meaning?

One poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, comes closer than any other in capturing the mingled awe and joy of the Resurrection – perhaps because Hopkins was, like the Lord he served so faithfully, a man well acquainted with grief and troubles. Hopkins writes:

…the Resurrection,

A heart’s clarion! Away grief’s gasping, joyless days, dejection.

Across my foundering deck shone

A beacon, an eternal beam. Flesh fade and mortal trash

Fall to the residuary worm; world’s wildfire, leave but ash:

In a flash, at a trumpet crash,

I am all at once what Christ is, since he was what I am, and

This Jack, joke, poor potsherd, patch, matchwood, immortal diamond,

Is immortal diamond.

Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Lost Servant: Really Good on Good Friday (5 Days in 4 Gospels: Bonus Post)

John Barry — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:00:00 -0700

Was Jesus’ death and resurrection prophesied? I think so. Was it prophesied that he would suffer on our behalf? I think so. Try “prophesied 500 years before Jesus came on the scene” on for size:

Isaiah 53:10 (My Translation)

Yet Yahweh was pleased to crush [the servant]; he afflicted [him] (with sickness). If [Zion or Jerusalem] places his life a guilt offering

Then Something Miraculous Happens: Isaiah 53:10–12 (My Translation)

[The servant] will see offspring, he will prolong days and the will of Yahweh in his hand will succeed. From the trouble of his life he will see light. He will be satisfied.

In his knowledge, my righteous servant shall make the many righteouss and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide to him [a portion] among the many, and with [the] strong ones he shall divide bounty, because he exposed his life to death and was counted with transgressors, and he carried [the] sin of many and will intercede for transgressors.

Questions to Consider:

Who killed Jesus? The Jerusalem priesthood in Zion (Israel) at the temple.

What holiday was Jesus killed during? Passover, when many guilt offerings would be brought into the temple.

What does the servant represent in his death? A guilt offering.

Who did Jesus die for according to the New Testament writers? The many—all of us.

Was Jesus beaten? Yes.

Did Jesus die? Yes.

Was Jesus resurrected according to the New Testament writers? Yes.

A Poem to Reflect on: “The Lost Servant”

Along the way we have discovered truth

But we some how lost our way

In the light we saw the beginning

But we lost sight of he who first saw lightWhen we thought of resurrection

We said, “No it could never be”

But there is a beginning for everything

New life is now what we see

To all those who lost the servant

And to all who wish to reclaim him

Here is your servant

Resurrected. Restorative. Reconciliatory.

Once lost, but always found

May kings shut their mouths at him

And all who follow his example

—From the “Dedication” of my forthcoming book, The Resurrected Servant in Isaiah.

Why the Resurrection Matters to You

Dave Sterrett — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:41:47 -0700

Throughout history, philosophers and theologians have debated two specific questions: What happens to one’s soul after death? and What happens to one’s body after death? Perhaps these aren’t the top two questions that come to your mind, but they are relevant to our daily lives. If you have a loved one who is slowly dying of cancer, you know that his or her body is decaying. It’s not what it used to be. You want to have certainty that, for your friend or family member, wholeness and life and hope exist beyond the grave.

Throughout history, great thinkers have talked about life after death. Even though Socrates (and Plato) had confidence that the human soul lives on, their devout followers had no proof that whether their teaching was correct. In addition, most of these philosophers and spiritual teachers, though they spoke a some truth, had a negative view of the physical body. Plato thought that the body was a prison that the soul was anxiously waiting to escape―just like a bird trapped in a cage, desperately wanting to escape and soar through a bright blue sky.

Many philosophers, following the teachings of these Greek pantheists and Hindu leaders, not only have negative beliefs about the physical body, but also believe confidently in reincarnation. In fact, probably one third of people in the world today believe in reincarnation, which is a theory that one’s soul goes on to live in another body after death. This depressing view towards the body exists amongst countless young adults throughout the world today. Often the human body is simply viewed as an object to be used and later cast aside.

Extreme Makeover?

As a teacher at an affluent Christian high school, I see some young female students are starving themselves through eating disorders. They don’t recognize that they are loved by God and beautiful in His sight. They don’t realize that they were harming their bodies, the “temples” in which God resides through his Holy Spirit. Similarly, there are athletic teenage boys all across the country use steroids to grow their muscles or run faster or jump higher. These young people are simply not satisfied with their bodies.

We are living in a culture in which most young adults, no matter how beautiful or handsome or athletic, want an “extreme makeover.” Plastic surgery is growing in popularity. Surveys show that more than a third of American women are “strongly dissatisfied with their bodies,” and many other women are “somewhat dissatisfied” (Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth, 1990). Some depressed teens cut themselves because they believe that causing themselves physical pain will offer them relief from emotional pain. People of all walks of life believe that human bodies are simply objects to be lusted after and satisfied through the use of pornography and sexual sin.

Christianity opposes all of these degrading views of the human body. The apostle Paul called the human body the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Jesus taught His followers to love God with both soul (heart) and body (strength).

Which One Is True?

As we mentioned above, philosophers and theologians have wondered for thousands of years which teacher knows the truth about life after death and how we can verify truth claims about the resurrection of the body.

Mohammed spoke of the resurrection and paradise, but he never proved it. Buddha spoke of reincarnation, but we have no way to verify His claims because we can’t observe the reincarnation of a soul. But over two thousand years ago, the Great Teacher―Jesus Christ―cleared up all confusion over the resurrection of the body. First, he taught that there will one day be a literal bodily resurrection. He said, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out―those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28-29). The good news of Jesus is that even when we die, our bodies will someday be raised again.

Moreover Jesus taught that your decision to be for Him or against Him will determine how that resurrection will take place. Those who have placed their faith in Jesus will be rewarded, and their bodies will be raised to spend eternity with Him; but those who have rejected Him will be condemned and their bodies resurrected to live separated from Him in everlasting torment.

Finally, Jesus did not just espouse nice-sounding promises of an afterlife; He actually demonstrated the resurrection. Jesus reminded His followers over and over again that He was going to die and then be raised from the dead. After he died, Jesus certainly could have disposed of His first body―the one that was brutally flogged, crucified and deeply scarred―and created another body for Himself, if He had wanted to. (He is God, after all.) But that’s not what happened. It was the same body that was pierced and bruised and crucified that was physically resurrected three days later by God’s mighty power. Christ bore the evidence of His suffering in His own body, which helped people who saw Him after the resurrection know that it was really Him they were seeing and not a ghost.

Couldn’t Jesus have died and fulfilled the requirements of sacrificial atonement without a bodily resurrection? I suppose, hypothetically speaking, it was possible. But through the historical event of this physical resurrection, Jesus demonstrated victory over death (Heb. 2:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:20-58). Through His resurrection we can experience a new birth and have great hope for the future, no matter what pain and discomfort we experience in our physical bodies (1 Peter 1:3-4).

If Christ’s body was severely beaten and torn for our sins and then raised in newness of life, then God certainly has the power to raise up our deteriorated and weakened bodies years after our death. It is comforting to remember this when a loved one passes away or a family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Through Christ’s resurrection, we have been given the physical evidence God’s promise that a similar miracle will someday take place with our bodies.

Resurrection isn’t difficult for God. If God had the power to create the universe out of nothing simply by His spoken word then He certainly has the power to resurrect our created bodies, as well. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can face any physical difficulties and sorrows with the assurance that our bodies will be transformed supernaturally after death so that we cans spend eternity with Him.

The Cross and the Tomb: Good Friday

Holly Ordway — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Christ is risen! On Easter, we raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving, celebrating the victory won for us by Our Lord, our new life made possible in His new life.

And rightly we do celebrate – but before we do, wait a moment. Paul writes in Romans that “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom 6:5 ESV). How easy it is to jump ahead, in our eagerness to be united with Our Lord in a resurrection like His own mighty resurrection. Stop for a moment. Stop and think on Paul’s words: “if we have been united with him in a death like his.” A death like Jesus’ death. What does that mean?

We cannot come to new life without death. We cannot find the Risen Lord without the Cross; we cannot reach Easter any way except through the agony of Good Friday and the emptiness of Holy Saturday.

Good Friday

Our Lord leads the way – from triumph and hosannas as He entered Jerusalem on Sunday, through the lonely watch in the garden of Gethsemane. Mark tells us that in the garden, Jesus “fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’” (Mk 14:35-36). Our Lord Himself was distressed and troubled, yet constant in obedience to the Father. How easy it is to proclaim Christ when we anticipate that His will is peace and prosperity. Yet Christ calls us to come and die. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Rom 6:3).

Would you die for Christ? Here in America, we are unlikely to literally die for Christ at all, and certainly not as Our Lord did – in agony, His scourged body stretched across the wood of the cross, struggling to breathe. Put it differently. Would you be willing to lose your job for Christ? Would you let go of God’s good gifts to follow God Himself?

Christ calls us to share in His death, that we may share in His resurrection. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). We will, soon, glory in His resurrection – but first comes the cross.

The crowd shouts, “Crucify him, crucify him!” (Jn 19:6). We are in that crowd. Pilate offers to release Him: the crowd shouts, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend.” (Jn 19:12). What accommodations have we made with Caesar? What do we worship instead of the One True God? We must face the darkness in our own lives as we make our way toward the light of Easter.

Christ is crucified.

Not for a vague and unspecified “humanity,” nor for a general idea of “sinners” which we so easily interpret as “other people.” No – on the cross He hung for three bitter hours, bleeding, thirsty, listening to the mockery of the crowd – for us. For me who writes this, for you who are reading this, for all the individual human lives that have ever been and ever will be. And with Christ was crucified all our sins. “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Rom 6:6-7).