Quite Unique

Whenever we visit memorials that mark horrific battles or scenes of great inhumanity, they are usually somber reminders of dark moments in our history. Standing in such places it is hard to imagine what transpired, or even believe such tragedies or atrocities are possible. But we don’t want to lose sight of the horror of the darkness, or the power of light to overcome. Think of the genocide in Ruanda, Flanders Field, Auschwitz, memorials on every continent and in every nation. Think of whatever comes to mind for you. The poppies grow, things have been tidied up, the bodies are buried, we ponder statues and read the plaques describing what seems quite unbelievable.

We’re approaching Easter, one of the most unbelievable, hard to imagine, events in history. Where darkness and light clashed in an epic encounter that changed the world. Quite unique, hard to prove; a one of a kind weekend. It was such a mix of brutality and grace, of despair and hope, of defeat and unexpected victory. How does one imagine God, the Creator, in human form, living on earth among his creation as one of them? The man, so unlike us apart from form. Humility, inner strength, truth telling, sacrificial living for others, secure within himself, generous, kind, great healer, no discrimination or prejudice. So complete was the disguise that Jesus was not recognized for who he claimed to be. He was most commonly treated as an imposter and definitely a threat to secular and spiritual authority figures. He made no book deals, owned no property, sought no back room deals; there was nothing to be gained for him, personally, in anything he did.

What a contrast to those who shook their fists around him, or looked the other way! Far too many in leadership from then to now find their identity and security in their status, influence, and power. When that unholy trinity is threatened the swords come out and the source is beheaded discreetly, or quite flagrantly out in the open. Death is the dictator’s ultimate weapon and crude solution.

God’s ways are not our ways; incomprehensible and unbelievable. generation after generation, we cannot wrap our minds around that one.

Easter in the raw is Good Friday, darkness and light. Whipping, thorns in flesh, nails excruciatingly pinning arms and legs to wood, naked humiliation, mocking, jeering, barbaric cruelty, lies, cowardly rulers, betrayal, rejection, abandonment, and death. And on the same day, and in the same location the raw Good Friday reveals surrender, not my will but yours, endurance, faith for what is not seen, forgiveness, strength in weakness, non-retaliation, love incarnate, insanely passive. Easter Friday is brutal.

Easter is the numbness of Saturday. Everything we hoped for is gone. Jesus is dead, body bound with cloth and spices in a grave behind a massive stone. Roman guards, friends questioning, doubting, running scared, hiding in fear, confused, arguing, wondering, feeling foolish, gullible, and even angry. It’s a day when promises seem broken, the future is dark, the journey feels wasted, and silence blankets words that sound hollow and cold. Saturday is dark and hard to endure. Those following the light left scratching their heads while darkness celebrates , mocks, and continues to intimidate.

But it’s not over. As they say, a lot can happen in three days!

Easter Sunday is revelation. When fallen humanity has rebelled, has nothing left to offer, thinks it has won a great victory, the tables are turned. God takes death by the scruff of the neck and casts it aside, once and for all. Death, evil’s great weapon, the ultimate of threats and actions; the finality and heaviness of death is like a feather in the hand of God. Revelation rises with the dawn of an unforgettable morning, and a quite unique Son Rise. Jesus is seen, felt, touched, heard, spoken to – alive, resurrected, undefeated, a refutation of humanity in all its evil, a revelation of humanity filled with God in all his glory. This is what you became, this is what you were created to be. Hope shines bright.

Jesus is quite unique. No other religion on earth comes close to the revelation of God in his life, death, and resurrection. No other religion comes close – to us, on earth. No other religion enters human life on earth in human form. No other religion reveals God as personal, relational, as a Father, loving, forgiving, compassionate, releasing power, embracing suffering, offering himself to die that we might live. No other religion invites all to know forgiveness because of what God accomplished on a Cross. No one else has ever risen from the dead! Every other religion talks about what we have to do to become acceptable to God, or appease multiple deities. Jesus came all the way to us to make a way for us to come all the way back to him.

Easter reveals humanity at its worst. The bare-knuckle fighter who will stop at nothing to hold onto power, even if it means killing and death. For the proud and the arrogant the Cross looms large. Humanity without God is revealed as power-hungry, fickle, and accomplishing its purposes through violence to other humanity. Dominating and intimidating until death us do part.

And Easter also reveals God at his best. His goodness and kindness, his grace and his mercy, his love beyond bounds, his willingness to forgive beyond reason. His demonstration of power authenticating and affirming Jesus’ declaration to be his Son. The revelation that there is way more to life than this earth and our three score years and ten, if we are lucky.

We can all get stuck on the days before Easter Sunday. Some are stuck on Good Friday. Angry with God, threatened, dismissing him as irrelevant, the cause of suffering, cruel, and making no difference. How can Jesus be the only way? Why does he not do anything? He never answers my prayers. A man dying on a cross two thousand years ago is irrational, unscientific, a crutch for the weak and needy. Unbelievable!

Others are stuck on Saturday with questions and doubts. I once started to believe but have become disillusioned. Christians are just as bad as everyone else. My greatest pain is from the church. I thought his promises were true, until….. Nothing makes sense anymore. I had hoped, but now…

The first disciples went through the same fears and doubts, it’s normal for us to struggle when it comes to God, or he comes to us.

The good news is that when we recognize our tendencies to be stuck the revelation is at hand. When finally the penny drops and we realize that we cannot come to God through our thinking and understanding, through our efforts, or even the illusion of being good enough. That’s when the real Easter is within our grasp, God still forgives, breaks through our clutter, and kisses us with the love of a Father.

The bottom line is this: Easter demonstrates that humanity can neither contain nor control God. His love is fierce and unafraid, relentless, patient, and infinitely kind. Most especially when we have the revelation of our own unworthiness, how we have ignored or dismissed him, or how we acknowledge him when it suits us, get him to rubber stamp our plans, weddings, and funerals. Until one day (I pray) we realize that we too have crucified, and shaken our fists. We hesitatingly turn and discover his outstretched arms and amazing grace pressing through that Cross where he died for us; for you, and for me. That’s the power and the greatest revelation of Easter, when we make it our own. When we come to him with chocolate egg smeared on our lips and whisper, “I’m sorry, forgive me, I never realized!”

Too good to be true and quite unbelievable! We are encountered by the same Jesus, resurrected, embracing, welcoming, forgiving, talking to us like a long lost, and most beloved child. “Welcome, my beloved, you’ve just made Easter so worthwhile, it was all about you, anyway.”

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse was broken

One final breath He gave
As Heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken

The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated

Forever, He is glorified
Forever, He is lifted high
Forever, He is risen
He is alive
He is alive

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