I have been reading through the Gospels and seeing how Jesus proclaimed Himself to be God and proved it through His miracles and teaching. How He rebuked the man-centred religious system, and pointed to Himself throughout the scriptures (during His ministry and again after the resurrection) - He quoted the Old Testament, and spoke clearly of His coming death and resurrection, yet, even the 12 disciples didn’t understand until after the resurrection, what He had meant.
BUT, one of the men who hung for their crimes, on a cross at Jesus’ side DID understand! He knew that Jesus was innocent and was not dying for His own sins, he knew and recognized his own guilt and sin deserving of death, AND he even recognized that Jesus was not going to remain dead, but would come into His Kingdom. He knew that the Kingdom was not of this world, and was not about setting up a throne to demolish the rule of Rome. Jesus came as fully God and fully man, to fulfil the numerous prophesies that fill the Scriptures; to suffer and to die for our sins, to rise on the third day, and to come again to judge the living and the dead and to make all things new.
The other man, also dying for his own sin and crimes, demanded of Jesus, that if He was the Christ/Messiah, He should save all 3 of them from their current suffering. He wanted to see the power of God displayed here in this world, by taking him down from the cross and ending his earthly suffering - He didn’t understand the cross of Christ.
Jesus answered the man who believed, by promising him eternal life and welcoming him into paradise.
Then Jesus exclaimed that “it is finished” and He committed His spirit to God the Father.
The work of atonement was completed on the cross, opposed to what some false teachers claim, that Jesus suffered in hell and was ‘born again’ - Jesus went to hades to PREACH not to suffer! And He was never spiritually dead and never ceased to be God and was never born again - we need to read our Bibles!
- Jesus GAVE His own life, as God in the flesh (100% God and 100% man), to take God’s wrath onto Himself, so that we can have His righteousness imputed to us instead; so that we can have eternal life. “If we confess our sins. If we repent. If we beleive in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is LORD. If we are born-again, and made new creations who submit to the Lordship of Christ, proven through good fruit, fitting with repentance - with spiritual growth and sanctification, with hating what is evil and clinging to what is good... all by GRACE, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Salvation is through/by:
1. Sola scriptura: “Scripture alone”
2. Sola fide: “faith alone”
3. Sola gratia: “grace alone”
4. Solo Christo: “Christ alone”
5. Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”
2. Sola fide: “faith alone”
3. Sola gratia: “grace alone”
4. Solo Christo: “Christ alone”
5. Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”
Which thief will we be like?
And, how are we proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples of ALL peoples - doing “greater-works” by preaching a greater message to a greater number of people over a greater geographic area - even to ends of the earth...
As Christians and as local Churches, how will we celebrate this weekend and proclaim this message to the world?
Below is a revised blog post about Easter bunnies and Acts 17:
“Are we using our freedom to make this Good News plain? Or are we so separatistic that we have no connection with unbelievers; or are we so worldly they don't know we have anything radically different to offer?"
- Quote from Desiring God/John Piper
An attempt to look biblically at culture and the Gospel,
in relation to Resurrection Sunday
Today (Good Friday), we remember the death of our Lord. Sunday we celebrate His resurrection. Daily we await His return. All of history and all of scripture is pivoted on Christ’s death and resurrection (and what it accomplished, and His second coming).
Beginning in Genesis: Creation, the Fall and the first Messianic prophesy, throughout the old testament and both Israel’s and all of mankind’s history, leading up to what we have recorded in the Gospels, and then in the letters to the first church, an culminating in the book of Revelation.
As we await Him returning in Judgement - and the “baptism of fire” that will cleanse the world of sin, we proclaim the Gospel to a lost world…and we teach our children how to know, love, and live in relationship with Jesus–Messiah.
How do we celebrate His death and resurrection, declare the Gospel to the world, use the culture of the world as a stepping stone to share the Gospel AND remain unpolluted, separate, different, and HOLY? And, as we strive to do that personally and in our own families, how do we also “contend for truth”, confront the "culture of the church", and live unashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1)?
I think that we can and should use the culture around us as “teachable moments/objects”, and it is important both at home and abroad in cross-cultural settings, to be aware of the culture and have discernment in using it as a stepping stone to share the Gospel.
In any cross-cultural setting, we can learn, study, research and know the best way to connect with people – but not to bring those things (cultural objects and traditions) into the Church. We can talk to children about what children see in the world surrounding Easter (and every other holiday), without bringing those things into the church. (And we can be like the first church by doing away with “seeker-sensitive” church “programs”, and instead teaching God’s Word and quipping the saints, and preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins - Preaching the Gospel.
I believe that Churches (congregations/leadership) should first TEACH God’s Word and biblical principles for family life and for maintaining a biblical world view (in every given culture and every area of life), and then leave it up to individual families to choose how to celebrate (all holidays) in their own homes or in their own communities, while keeping what we have IN Church (as part of a Sunday morning service) as sacred, set-apart, and holy…
For example,. Easter egg hunts and bunnies - and with COCVID-19, even having “virtual” secular Easter events, on Church platforms.
(Check out local rec centres and numerous other platforms for “Easter Events” if you desire that kind of thing, and find a Church platform that is focussed on Christ and the Resurrection and the Gospel Message - to teach your children a Biblical World View without compromise - over 60% of young poeple are leaving Churches because they hear “bible stories” in Sunday School and then are encouraged to accept world cultures and world beliefs; mainly evolution, but including both obvious and subtle compromise that removes the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word and adds “man’s world view to “Christian/Church Life”)
If a family wants to celebrate with eggs and a bunny and chose how to teach their children, then that is their prerogative, but we have clear teaching in scripture that the main role of the local church is to teach God’s Word and encourage spiritual growth and holiness, equipping believers for every good work (so we can go and make disciples) - the church should be separate from the World.
In a “normal” calendar year, if a local Church does want to have an Easter bunny, why not have a separate event on Saturday?! If you do a Saturday event with an “Easter Bunny”, then you can invite families to come back the next day for “Resurrection Sunday” (sans bunny at church and sans Easter egg hunt at church -do it all on Saturday).
The passage in Acts 17 tells us that Paul was “going through the market preaching the Good News about Jesus and the Resurrection”, and he was angered about all of the idols that he saw throughout the city...
Using this passage (Acts 17) in relation to Easter, would be to look at what Paul said at the end, about needing to repent and to change their old way of thinking – he related to their culture and then basically told them to leave their culture and to recognize that God does not dwell in temples, etc. – he mentioned the altar, he didn’t use the altar. We can mention the bunny without using the bunny too…
Another way of looking at Acts 17 in relation to Easter, in today’s culture, would be, (as someone mentioned to me a while back):
“Just as Paul went through the market place and then spoke in public, using the culture of that city to point to Christ, I think if we were to imitate Paul, we would go to the community Parks and Recreation Centres, while they are celebrating Easter, and would preach the Gospel and let them know that what they are celebrating or using to celebrate Easter is not what Easter is really about - and then preach the Gospel and the Resurrection. Paul didn’t bring their symbols (or the altar to the unknown god) into the synagogue/, he used them as an example to speak truth in a public place).”
Again, the question is (examine yourself and your church), "Do we have something radically different to offer the world?" - or are we the same as the local secular cultural/recreational centre?
Is Christ not the all-satisfying, resurrected Saviour? Do we need to bring the secular world-view into the church to “save the world?”
In closing, please read Romans 1:16-23 (bold by me)
“ I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.”
For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honour Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles."
Here is a great, and FREE Sunday School Curriculum for Easter!! Teach your children and your church apologetics by ordering the complete ABC curriculum, or just use the FREE seasonal lessons, available here: https://answersingenesis.org/sunday-school/easter/