THE CRUX OF OUR FAITH (EASTER MUSING)

He's alive again,

Stone's been rolled away.

He's alive again.

He's no longer where He lay.
He's alive again.

I can hear the angels say

Let all the world rejoice, He's alive!

I grew up singing the popular chorus above from Phil Driscoll’s - He's Alive Again track, from the Power of Praise album in my local Foursquare Gospel Church back in Nigeria, and during the Easter celebration, this and many other songs like “Alive, alive, my Saviour is alive”, and “all the way to Calvary, He went for me” struck differently. There was something about these songs- they conveyed the gospel in its entirety i.e. Jesus’ sufferings, crucifixion, death and resurrection. These songs didn’t just stop there, they went on to reveal my identity as a new creation and what I stand to gain- Life Eternal!
As we bask in the euphoria of this season, albeit in a lacklustre manner, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic which is drastically changing every aspect of life from what we used to know it to be and forcing change on us, such as social distancing - some have argued it is physical and not social distancing, as we need to be closer socially this season for mental wellness- as the new normal, it is pertinent to remind ourselves what the crux of the Christian faith is.
 

What distinguishes the Christian faith? The cross and the empty tomb.

The Cross signifies the altar upon which Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for the sin of the world. 1 Peter 2:24 (AMP) reveals that “He personally carried our sins in His body on the ^[a]cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been ^[b]healed.” The Son of Man had to be lifted up on the cross to satisfy the claims of justice on behalf of sinners who believe in Him, by looking up to the cross, thereby gaining life eternal!

The empty tomb assures us of a brand new life and an ever-living hope in this world and the one to come. Because Jesus has risen, the tomb is empty! 1 Peter 1: 3-5 (MSG) states “…Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future...” Friends, even amid this global pandemic, in the words of my pastor, John Taylor, in his Easter message “Jesus (empty tomb) offers Christians confident assurance in uncertain times” (emphasis added). Christians are simply people who believe in Jesus’ sufferings, death, resurrection and his coming again. We believe by looking up to the cross.  

I conclude this musing on Easter with Ravi Zacharias’ thoughts on Easter “We often hear the phrase, "the crux of the matter" or "the crux of a situation." The word "crux" comes from Medieval Latin, and simply means cross. Why has the word "crux" come to be associated with a critical juncture or point in time? Because the Cross of Christ is truly the crux of history. Without the Cross, history itself cannot be defined or corrected.

There is another word we often hear when we are in the throes of indescribable pain, the word, "excruciating." That, too, derives from the Latin and means "out of the cross." Across time and human experience, the historical event of the Cross intersects time and space and speaks to the deepest hurts of the human heart... The Cross stands as the defining counter-perspective to everything this world has to offer...” As we observe one of the most memorable Easters in history, may we never lose our wonder of the crux of our faith- the cross and the empty tomb. Happy Easter!

Reflection 

What is one lesson you have learnt this Easter season, especially amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic? Do share with us in the comment section.

Three Symptoms of a Lack of 20/20 Vision (20/20 Vision for 2020 #2)

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey- John H. Sammis (1887)

“So, how do I know I am not engaging a 20/20 vision?” this question stems from where we left off in the last post. Below are three symptoms indicative of a lack of 20/20 vision:

·         Over-indulgence in things such as food, sex, a habit or just about anything. As simple and harmless as it may seem, we will stuff ourselves with cookies, pies, cakes…, indulge in solo travels/retreats, trips to massage parlours, change (sexual) partners, do whatever, as long as we don’t trust Jesus as the bread of life who satisfies our deepest yearnings. Paul in 1 Cor.6: 12-13 (MSG) sums it perfectly: “Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims…Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!”

·         Worry/Anxiety: everything will get at you when your vision isn’t 20/20- from the government’s (unstable) policies, to “trade-wars” between nations, rumours of a “third world war”, to your lecturer’s/superior’s mood swings, down to the opinion of the man on the street about you! Worry leads to a miserable life because we refuse to trust Jesus as our Good Shepherd. Last I checked, the shepherd chooses the sheep to tend and assumes full responsibility for same, not the other way round.

·         Feeling lonely and forgotten: this feeling is as a result of believing the lies of the devil thereby leading to depression, frustration and mental illnesses which has become rampant. We don’t operate a 20/20 vision when we don’t trust Jesus to be Emmanuel, the God who dwells in us even when alone, the One who never leaves nor forsakes us.

I heard you- “how do I engage and sharpen my 20/20 vision in 2020? How do I ensure that I keep trusting and obeying?”

May I suggest that we commence each day with the simple practice of resting, instead of just diving headlong into our busy schedules.

Resting in the finished works of Christ by calling to remembrance His goodness, faithfulness and unfailing love. Resting, by stilling our busy and worried hearts in His presence by expressing how desperately we need Him.

Resting, by coming boldly to the throne of His grace to obtain mercy for our messes and failings, and take hold of grace to help us as we declare our confidence in His trustworthiness.

This, my dear, is the way, to engage 20/20 vision for 2020 and be happy in Jesus- trust and obey.

Reflection

·         Are there other symptoms indicative of a lack of 20/20 vision asides those above? Let us learn from them, do share with us in the comment section.

Trust and Obey (20/20 Vision for 2020 #1)

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey- John H. Sammis (1887)

Happy new year! Welcome to the beginning of not just another year, but a decade. I am excited about the year; I hope you are too because there’s so much more God has in store for you.

As we proceed, permit me to ask: do you have a 20/20 vision for 2020 and beyond? The term 20/20 vision refers to normal visual acuity i.e. the clarity or sharpness of vision measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. So, for people who cannot see clearly at that distance, they need some help. So it is with us in our faith walk, our vision must be clear and sharp, and the way to go about this is by simply trusting and obeying.

“Why can’t you trust me?” Jesus asked his disciples after calming the storm. Every day, we are confronted with this same question from the moment we wake up till we go to bed at night. This is because to trust means to rest, and to rest means to trust. Most of our activities and relationships are based on trust- you trust that if you put in the requisite hours, energy or commitment, as a student you’d graduate with good grades and in time, as a worker, your employer will reward you or the system will favour you. Truth is, you cannot obey someone you do not trust.

Ananias in Acts 9 is a case in point. When God sent him to go pray for Saul, the dreaded guy who treated God’s people terribly, he was hesitant. But God was simply asking Ananias “do you trust Me?” In what Shannon Ethridge refers to as taking a lion’s share of courage to obey, ‘Ananias obedience in going over to Straight Street and witnessing to Saul was no small act. How did he get so brave hearted? He knew God personally and intimately. He trusted God completely. He feared disobeying his Lord more than he feared what Saul might do to him.”

Ananias knew God personally, so he could trust Him. Because he trusted, he could obey. You cannot trust whom you do not know, and you cannot obey whom you do not trust. Hence, it suffices to say that every act of defiance stems from a lack of trust in a person, an authority or system.  

Reflection

·      Have you had an experience of trusting that required a lion’s share of courage like Ananias, to obey? Please go ahead and share with us in the comment section.

Note: In the next post, I will share three symptoms indicative of a lack of 20/20 vision. Do be on the lookout for that next week.