Purpose, God and Man
Oftentimes, when we speak and think of Easter, we think of the mercy of God. It is no secret the sacrifice of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, and a great deal has been written about it. The preaching of the mercy of God in His redemption of us on the cross is known by many, both to those who believe and to those who do not. However, there is, in this story, a message which is not often addressed.
The Sacrificial Lamb
The act of the Passion of Jesus was the sacrifice of the pure lamb, not only spotless on Earth but eternally good and pure, and thus in the shedding of His blood, man was and is redeemed of his sins eternally; but in the temporal, in that frame of time which is given to us here on Earth, we still suffer as a result of both our own misdeeds and those of others.
And so Jesus gave of himself wholly on the cross, knowing this truth of our nature here, that man is good but broken and in need of saving. And often we hear, “You are entirely redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus.” It is a beautiful statement, but it is inaccurate in its presentation.
Man's Freewill
God is good and merciful, and though at times we may wish otherwise, He does not interfere in the exercise of the freewill of man. God is no tyrant, but a benevolent King. He shows often in the Bible and in history that He will not impose restriction upon the desires of men, we are free to choose in all things, and free to endure all the consequences of our choices. So what Easter means is not, “You are entirely redeemed by Jesus’ sacrifice.” Instead, it is, “You are invited to be redeemed entirely by the sacrifice of Jesus.”
We are all free to choose, and perhaps many do not like the choices given; nevertheless, they, as well as every person, are required by circumstance to make the decision. The choices are these: man is free to become a servant of God, or a slave to sin. We may at any time serve a gracious Lord, or submit to a tyrannical master.
This is a choice given to us by the cross; we are now as free as any have been before to choose freedom itself. From dark places the light is blinding and oppressive, but to step into the light is to see the world unmasked, and to take our steps in the freedom allowed through understanding rather than the restriction imposed by the lack of thereof.
Great Responsibility
Yet that understanding comes with a responsibility: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:” - Luke 12:48. We are not only invited into the light of knowledge and the gift of forgiveness, we are also called to take up our cross. And if the cross and redemption is the greatest gift, so too is it the greatest responsibility.
Christ submitted to man and was given death, and Christ asks man to submit to Him and offers only life. Surely, this is a cross worth bearing, a seemingly easy decision, although certainly no easy task. But we may, and we should take comfort in knowing that, despite all of our faults, shortcomings, and incapabilities, God yet saw fit not only to offer but to act upon his offer of salvation and to voluntarily take upon the debt of sin. Let us be reminded that, in the Holy Week of Easter, we are all free, free to be slaves, or free to be servants.
In love,
Chancelor Agorastos