Rewriting Easter

What the world says about Easter

Norwood Primary School in Hampshire cancelled Easter celebrations ‘out of respect for diversity.’  The head told parents:

So Christians, who have been here for centuries, have to cancel our culture and faith to meet the demands of non Christians who have only arrived recently. 

Perhaps they could find an alternative way to celebrate Easter, by following the example of English Heritage, an organisation apparently dedicated to preserving England’s heritage. They produced a poster saying ‘Did you know that Easter started as a celebration of spring?  

Long ago people welcomed warmer days and new life by honouring the goddess Eostre who gave Easter its name.’ It is true that the name Easter does have pagan roots, but to omit any mention of the resurrection of Jesus in connection to this season shows how far we have fallen in this country. 

King Charles did send out an Easter message that mentioned Jesus, but re-interpreted the meaning of the event as a show of humanitarian love reaching out to suffering humanity.  He said

Charles’ message is a universalist one of  ‘love’ saying all religions teach the same:

What Easter really is about

Really? Actually, there are boundaries to God’s love for the world. God does not love the sin of the world, nor the influences of the Evil One. All this is under the judgement of God and we can only escape from it through turning to Jesus Christ. 

²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26

We can’t find this through Jewish ethical teaching and certainly not through Islam, both of which deny the central message of Resurrection Day – that Messiah / Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again from the dead.  Islam specifically teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God, did not die on the cross and therefore did not rise from the dead. 

The basic message of Christianity, the primary reason God sent His son into the world is to save us from our sins, through His death and resurrection at Passover time in Jerusalem in fulfilment of the prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures. This is not part of Charles’ humanistic and universalist message, which is the central error of our time, that all roads lead to God and all you need is love. Not so – you need repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to find the road to God and only then you can receive the love of God revealed in Jesus. 

We won’t understand the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus unless we understand the meaning of His death. So before we look at the resurrection, let’s look at some of the basics of why Jesus went to the cross and then look at the resurrection. Jesus knew all along that His mission was going to end at the cross.

²¹ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Matthew 16:21

Time of arrest, disciples tried to fight back, Jesus rebuked them.  

⁵² But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. ⁵⁶ But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Matthew 26:52-56

The Scriptures of Messiah fulfilled

The Suffering Messiah

At the cross, in His first coming, Jesus fulfilled prophecies of the suffering Messiah. 

His purpose was to be the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. 

At second coming the prophecies of the reigning Messiah will be fulfilled.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?  …. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. ¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; ¹⁷ I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. ¹⁸ They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. Psalm 22

He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. ⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  ⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:3-6

These prophecies were to be literally fulfilled in Jesus dying on the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world 7-900 years after they were given.

On the cross, Jesus fulfilled these and other scriptures written centuries before hand. He bore our sins, and became the Passover Lamb for humanity with all its significance. 

 ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ⁷ And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ⁸ Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; … ¹² ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ¹³ Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:1-13

What were Jesus’ words from the cross?

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning? Psalm 22:1

That was the moment when the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He who knew no sin, became the sin offering for us all.

An His enemies said:

³⁹ And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴² “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. ⁴³ He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” Matthew 27:39

‘If you are the Christ / Messiah, prove it by coming down from the cross.’ Could Jesus have saved himself from the cross? Absolutely. He could have called on legions of angels to save Him from that hour. 

⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? Matthew 26:53

But He did not, because He knew that the purpose of His coming to earth was to be the Suffering Servant Messiah, shedding His blood as the final sacrifice for sin, so that all who turn to God in faith can receive forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in heaven as we repent and believe the Gospel. 

It was not the nails that held him there but His love for you and me. He took the punishment that we deserve. 

Then, from the cross, Jesus said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Says to repentant thief who says Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ 

³² There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, ³⁷ and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

³⁸ And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹ Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:32-43

Jesus offers forgiveness of sin to all who come to Him. Down through time from the thief on the cross to you and me now living – if we repent and believe we will go to be with the Lord in Paradise for eternity. However, this is not an unconditional offer. We must respond. 

In Acts 3, Peter preaches to people in Jerusalem, many of whom were responsible for that terrible miscarriage of Justice,

¹⁷ “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:17-19

Jesus fulfilled, completed the will of the Father, prophesied by the prophets. His last words from the cross were:

³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30

The task of redemption was completed. Then,

⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46

That is the reason why Jesus came.

When the suffering was over, He was released into the presence of the Father, His Spirit to return to His body on the third day in the resurrection showing the triumph of the Lord over sin, death and the devil. 

This was going from hell to heaven. And I encourage you to believe it as the centurion who, after watching countless crucifixions and horrible things, now saw Jesus die this unique death and said ‘Truly this was the Son of God.’

⁵⁴ So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54

Jesus was then buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s, a rich man’s tomb as also prophesied in Isaiah 53.

He rested on the Sabbath – to Resurrection Day / the third day

Resurrection Day

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. ³ His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴ And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

⁸ So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

⁹ And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” Matthew 28:1-10

The women who were on the way to anoint Jesus’ body at the tomb where they had seen Jesus was buried realise a supernatural event has taken place. An earthquake has stone rolled away, the guards have fled and the Angel of the Lord appears in dazzling appearance who says to them:

Do not be afraid

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7

Why wouldn’t they be afraid? Based on the situation regarding Jesus’ arrest, His death which was traumatic to them, their own dangerous situation, they could not know what would become of them, what would become of the movement Jesus had started. Their hopes were dashed, and the One they loved was dead.

We know the end of the story. At this point, they didn’t.

They were part of a new situation that had never before happened. The women were the first witnesses of the most incredible intervention of God in human affairs. They were to face undeniable evidence of the supernatural, of God’s intervention in a spectacular way. 

The earthquake, the stone rolled away, the presence of an angel; what was happening? It was an   awesome experience.

¹¹ But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ¹³ Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. John 20:11-18

I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified 

The Angel = angelos ἄγγελος (Greek) /malach מַלְאַךְ (Hebrew) / messenger of God, God, knows where we are at. There are things that make us afraid. We have real concerns for our future, about our family. We have hopes and disappointments in life. We fear the future, we fear death even.

⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. Matthew 28:5

Somehow fear and hope are bound up with Jesus who was crucified. His death by crucifixion was the most horrible thing imaginable. At the same time, understanding its meaning in the light of the resurrection, is the key to our liberation from fear and from the sense of hopelessness. 

Our liberation, deliverance from evil, comes when we seek and find Jesus.  No one else can release from fear and hopelessness.  At this point the women did not understand this.  Later they would. 

Jesus being crucified was the point at which God and sinful humanity met and the price was paid.

If you seek the real Jesus who was crucified your need will be met. You will have a wonderful future. 

If you don’t, you will live forever in fear and despair. A terrible future.

Crucifixion was a fact of history. They had seen it happen. They had not just heard about it in a comfortable church building or watched on a movie in the comfort of their homes. They had seen the blood, heard the cries of agony, seen the treachery of the religious leaders who made it happen, felt the power of Roman occupation and its threat to their lives as they watched this brutal, public form of execution.

It was designed to intimidate people into submission and crush any idea of revolt against Rome. That is why it was carried out in public, why the crucified were displayed on the main roads outside the cities.

The disciples had seen the Lord’s body taken down from the cross and buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, and seen the stone rolled across it. In short, they knew Jesus was dead. 

Their purpose in going to the tomb was not to meet a risen Saviour, but to bring spices for embalming his dead body and somehow hoped they could get to it beyond that huge stone which held it in the grave.

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:1-3

He is not here; for He is risen

But He was not dead. That was the Angel’s astonishing statement. He’s not here. He should be here, dead men don’t move. This one has moved – out of the tomb, having moved the stone, removed the Roman guard and burst out of the sealed tomb alive and risen from the dead. If He really is risen, this changes everything. 

On its own, the crucifixion has no positive message. Perhaps a brave man dying for a cause, but now dead. If Jesus is dead, that is the end of it. He may have lived a wonderful life and done many miracles but, if He is dead, that is it. 

They could treasure His memory as long as they lived but when they died this memory would die with them. They might pass it on to their children but, with the passing of time, it would mean less and less and eventually it would be forgotten. Above all, if it were so, from God’s point of view, nothing would have changed. They would not be saved, redeemed. They would still be in their sins. Paul says in Corinthians, 

¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 1 Corinthians 15:13-14

But He is not there. Only Jesus has an empty tomb. Everyone else is buried somewhere. Whether buried or cremated, our life comes to an end, our remains go back to the dust from whence they came and that is the end of our lives. Unless there is the resurrection of the dead, that makes all the difference. 

Nikki and Rabbi Abraham.  Booklet about Nikki.  Daily Light April 27.  Rabbi ‘Where would we be without the resurrection of the dead?’

The fact is, Jesus is risen. If He is who He said He is, the Son of God, equal with the Father, God from eternity to eternity, then He cannot remain dead in the tomb. He must rise. Josh McDowell in his epic book ‘Evidence that demands a verdict’, proving the case for Christianity wrote: 

This is the central fact of Christianity. Without it our faith makes no sense. What is the evidence that Jesus is risen then? No body was found. No serious attempt to disprove this was made by the authorities. The story about the disciples stealing His body does not hold up. Why would they then risk their lives for a lie? The resurrection changed the lives of the apostles. They were scared one day, running away, Peter even denied he knew the Lord, then, in the following days, he preached the Gospel boldly to thousands of people. The resurrection of our Lord changed the lives of those who truly believe in Jesus down through the ages which id the subject of my talk ‘Evidence for the resurrection‘.   

It all happened as He had said

Jesus had told the disciples many times that this was going to happen.

²¹ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Matthew 16:21

But they blanked it out of their minds. They did not want to know which is a behaviour typical of humans. We often only want to hear good news not the bad. Jesus has told us many things in prophecy. Some of them are negative, like coming of a time of Great Tribulation and Judgement on this present world. For the most part however, the church today does not want to know.

We had better believe everything Jesus says. Especially as it is happening now and current events are speeding towards the end time of Great Tribulation before the return of the Lord. Whatever God tells us, whether good or bad, it is always true and we should always pay attention.

Go quickly and tell

Once we understand this, the result is that we should want to go and tell, let others know that Jesus is risen. That is what is meant by the Great Commission of Matthew 28.16-20. 

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:16-20

The women went to tell the disciples, they gathered them together in preparation for a meeting with risen Lord that evening (Luke 24) when He proved to them He was really alive and explained to them from the scriptures what had happened. 

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. ⁵ Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” Luke 24:1-7

Jesus appears to them and many others for 40 days after His resurrection. First in Jerusalem, then in Galilee, then, finally, on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem when He ascends to heaven after telling them they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit in new life and go into all the world and preach the Gospel. 

³⁷ On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

They went into all the world to tell the nations. We too should go and tell. This is what makes faith exciting, there’s bound to be someone you can tell. 

The resurrection of Jesus makes all the difference.

³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15.3-6

Jesus died for our sins and rose again. His death was the final and complete sacrifice. The resurrection shows that God accepted this sacrifice. Nothing can be added or taken away from it. There is no need for further priests, sacrifices, or works to be added to it in order to save us.

Salvation is through Christ alone. Good works follow salvation, they do not precede it.

⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Through salvation, because of the resurrection of Jesus, we too will be resurrected and have an eternal future. We’ll receive new bodies at the resurrection, we’ll walk in newness of life. We’ll put off the old life and put on the new. 

The Holy Spirit is available to all who call on the Name of the Lord for Salvation because Christ has risen and has ascended and is now glorified.

To those who do accept Him, the future is glorious, even if the present is often difficult. To those who don’t, the present may have its pleasures, but the future is terrible. So, believe the Good News and find forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Christ’s resurrection changes everything. It changed my life way back on January 1^st 1970, when I was a young radical teacher and sat in my bedsit in West Hampstead, the night after a very decadent New Year’s Eve party, when I woke up with a hangover and a bad conscience and asked Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my life and He did! 

Here I am 55 years later believing the same thing.

The tomb is empty. Christ is risen. This is not a myth. Nor is it a metaphor or mere encouragement. It is a historical fact, a theological truth, and our eternal hope.

The Resurrection is not a footnote to the Gospel—it is its exclamation point.

The crucified Saviour is now the risen King. The One who was pierced for our transgressions now lives and reigns, never to die again.

Because Christ lives, death is defeated.
Because Christ reigns, sin has lost its claim.
Because Christ is risen, our faith is not in vain, and the out workings of that faith are not in vain.