The Significance of Easter This weekend is special for us Christians. It marks the commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It commenced with Good Friday and will end with Easter. This is the weekend that the new creation became a reality. The Scriptures inform us that Jesus whopped the devil and his regiment by his death, burial and resurrection, made a public exhibition of them. As we celebrate, I will take this opportunity to expound on the import of this occasion.Contrary to religious beliefs, the phrase “it is finished” was not in reference to the new covenant, but to the old covenant under which the presence of God dwelt in the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem.We understand that once Jesus pronounced the word, it is finished, the curtain that partitioned the Holy of Holies - which was 40ft wide, 20ft long and four inches thick - was rent in twain or torn into two from top to bottom. The import of this tearing was to show that the old covenant was finished and God’s presence would no longer be kept shut up in man-made Holy of Holies. Remember, Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. By this, he identified with humanity, gave himself as ransom or substitute. He was made sin at the cross… God made him who had no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Jesus was made sin, He was turned over by God to the adversary; the father abandoned him, hence he cried, My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me (Mathew15:24). He became estranged from the life of God and assumed the nature of fallen man came under condemnation, forged a union with the adversary. He came under the domain (kingdom) and dominion of the adversary. Satan became his master. He died on behalf of humanity. The original rendering, says “And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his deaths” (Isaiah 53:9). Note that the word “death” in the original is plural, thus signifying that he experienced two types of death. When his spirit was made sin, he died spiritually and yelled, Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani? meaning My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me, he expired physically hours later, saying, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit;... and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Luke 23:46). The scriptures labelled his giving up the ghost or death “The hidden wisdom” — Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:7-8). Highlighting the implication of his death, Paul, the apostle, in his missive to the Hebrews, said that by [going through] death, He might bring to nought and make of no affect him who had the power of death — that is, the devil — and also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives (Hebrews 2:14-15). King James Rendering says ...Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (15) and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage”. In English the word destroy as translated in this text, means to put an end to the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it. But the word destroy in this text is from the Greek word “katargeō”, which infers: to render useless or unproductive , null and void, inoperative or powerless, make ineffective. To render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative. To cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency. To deprive of force, influence, power So what Jesus did at death was render satan redundant, or useless and inoperative. He did not annihilate him or render him non-existent as portrayed in King James Version, rather, He rendered him inactive, and as far as the new creation is concerned, Satan is a defeated foe. It is noteworthy to mention that since Jesus had been made sin, when he died he went to hell and engaged in warfare. In hell, He whopped the devil and his regiment; He stripped Satan of his authority. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Col 2:15). Marginal rendering paints a more graphic picture: Having put off from himself the principalities and powers,” thus showing that the demonic host tried to hold Jesus down. There was a serious combat in hell. Here, Jesus met the claim of justice against humanity — and was justified (made righteous) in the Spirit (1Tim 3:16). Recall that, he had been made sin and died spiritually. After he met the claim of justice against human race, he was justified (made righteous) in the Spirit, raised from the dead as the first begotten of dead. When Jesus was raised, humanity was declared righteous, as if Adam`s sin had never been. Romans 4:25 give credence to this and shows how God has provided righteousness on legal ground: saying, “Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” The word delivered in this text, comes from the Greek word “Paradidomi”, which also connotes condemned. While justification originates from the Greek word “Dikaiosis” which means “the act of God declaring men free from guilt and acceptable to him”. Put differently, the above text reads, “who was condemned for our trespasses” and was raised when God declared men free from guilt and acceptable to him.”This is Easter!!! You see, there are two phases to righteousness, first, God declares us righteous, and second we are made new creation. We become partaker of his divine nature, so that we are righteous by nature and righteous by faith. By the declaration: Man is freed from condemnation wrought by Adam`s transgression; Second: when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour, we become free from all personal transgressions, and we have imparted to us God`s nature. You see, redemption is of God, who has reconciled the world unto himself. As a result of the reconciliation, He is not counting their trespasses against them because their trespasses were counted to Jesus. Though man has been declared legally righteous in Christ, It is his personal acceptance of the reconciliation that is in Christ that will save him. He will be convicted of only one sin, his rejection of Jesus Christ as his savior. But, It is not God`s will that any man should perish; He want everyone saved and you can do this by accepting Jesus as Lord, right now.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 01:28:38 +0000
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