A week from now is Good Friday, the dark day on which Jesus died a brutal, horrific death on the cross at Golgotha, the place of the skull. We will retell the Passion narrative, remembering Jesus as we do when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. We do this in remembrance of him, of God’s amazing mercy and love, because the story is too important to allow it to slide into the haze of history and fade from our sight.
We began to hear the story of Jesus when Moses wrote down the history of the universe. Those uplifting, beautifully simplistic words which begin the story, “In the beginning, God…” are continued by the Apostle John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word created a universe with the express purpose to fashion a place where we could be together, Creator and Created, united in love.
It would have been a very short story if we’d been able to end right there. And they lived happily ever after for ever and ever and ever and ever. But the world broke. We broke the only rule we were given. The relationship was shattered. Angels with burning swords blocked the return to the Garden. We immediately turned on each other, the first two siblings ever experienced jealousy, envy, anger and murder. We sank into depravity. Despite that, there were bright spots in humanity who remembered what we had in the Garden, who remembered God and honored the Lord. The very water that washed humanity off the face of the earth also saved Noah and his family because of his devotion to God.
Abraham walked with God, too. God made a promise to him thousands of years ago, foretold of one descended from Abraham who would save the world and bless all people. We saw foreshadowing of the one to come in Moses, leading God’s people out of bondage and slavery, into a promised land, with God at their side. People, being people, being descended from the ones who broke the one original rule, betrayed God and began sleeping with the enemy, worshipping gods fashioned by the hands of people, imagined out of the darkness in our souls. God had already promised not to wash the world clean again and to bless everyone through Abraham’s children.
The world waited on the arrival of the Reason, the Point, the Healer, the Redeemer. We waited a long time, many despaired God would never return. Then, quietly, until the angels couldn’t contain themselves, a baby showed up in a feeding trough, so poor, so meek as to be no threat at all. The Word had come. A new chapter for humanity began.
The Word taught us to love, to see the most important aspect of our lives is our relationship with God, one that was worthy of everything we are, body, mind, heart and soul. The Word showed us we are all beloved children of the Most-High God and by loving each other we are fulfilling our purpose to love God. He challenged the ones who would use position and power to take advantage of the weak and disadvantaged, the widows and orphans. He called them out for their hypocrisy and championed the cause of the poor. He brought the Good News that there is a path which leads back to Eden, to the new Heaven and the new earth, a narrow way which leads us to the Throne of Grace, to our salvation, redemption and life.
We do well to not only remember the story at Easter. This story is so important we need to hear it afresh every day. The story isn’t finished. One day, soon, Jesus will return and take us home. Then we will live happily ever after. Come, Lord Jesus!
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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