Matt 27:42 - He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
As Easter approaches, we see the news, magazines, and public discussion become abuzz around this person of Jesus Christ. What is this holiday all about? Is it true? Is Jesus who he said he was?
Was he a liar? Jesus said that he was the son of God, that he was one with the Father (God). That's a pretty lofty assertion. How does the testimony of those who were with him hold up? All of his close disciples, who were with him constantly, all died tortuous deaths for identifying with and proclaiming Christ as Lord. If you were with such a man, and you knew that he was a fake, that his miracles were anything but, that he wasn't really raised from the dead, would you promote the religion, even unto death? Why would you die for something you knew to be a lie, without any hope of an afterlife?
Was he a lunatic? Maybe Jesus was a good man, and we can learn some things from his teachings. Well, we would be hard pressed to adhere to a man who called himself the son of God and claimed to do miracles. Maybe he was just a plain crazy. But could a crazy man do the things that he did? Raising people from the dead? Feeding 12,000 (men, women and children) with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Restoring sight to the blind? And these stories of Christ's life didn't just come from one story or person, but four separate Gospels record the same actions as seen from different eyewitnesses.
What if he actually was Lord? If Jesus Christ was not a liar, and he was not a lunatic, the only other explanation is that he really was who he said he was. God, almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, descended into human form. Why? Easter is why. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem. It had been roughly 3 and a half years since he began preaching and teaching across Israel. After celebrating the Jewish Passover with his disciples, he was delivered over to the Romans to be crucified.
Being God, Jesus had the power to free himself from the cross. Knowing all things, he knew the soldiers were coming for him when he was praying in the garden. It would have been a very simple escape out of the back of that garden away from Jerusalem. But Christ's prayer, "Not my will, but thine be done" (speaking to God in heaven), showed his resolve.
The perfect, righteous, and just God needed a perfect, willing sacrifice to accept and satisfy the payment of sin that was on all of our accounts. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and all of us have sinned and fallen short of the level of this perfect God (Romans 3:23). Therefore, only perfection could pay the price for us, and clear the account. Christ came to do that.
He who believes on Christ will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The purpose of Easter is Jesus dying on a cross and (literally) paying for our sins. He was crucified on Good Friday, lain in a tomb, which was sealed and guarded. Easter Sunday, the stone was removed, and Christ was not there, for he is risen (Matthew 28:6). Jesus chose this, because He really loves us. He was tortured and crucified because He doesn't want us to be slaves any longer.
He's not just a Lord who has come to control and command your life. He is a Lord who has come to set you free. Free from the slavery we have all been under. Free from sin's oppressive power, free from addictions, free from loneliness, free from ours, our family's, our friends' expectations. All it takes is a moment of belief, and Christ's resurrection and freedom from death will be yours for eternity.
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