Weekly Devotional Easter Special, 2024
by Bruce Billington
Weekly Devotional – Easter Special 2024
THE CROSS
We have come to the time when we, as Christians, traditionally celebrate the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
The cross was a horrendous experience, commonly used by the Romans for 500 years until it was abolished by Constantine I in the 4th century AD. Crucifixion in Roman times was applied mostly to slaves, disgraced soldiers, Christians, and foreigners–only very rarely to Roman citizens. However, Jesus had an extra dimension of suffering on the cross than anyone else had to experience. This is something that is too often overlooked.
Mark 15:34 – “At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
The thing Jesus suffered most came from the hand of God. To His horror, He finds that the treasured eternal relationship between the Father and the Son no longer exists. Jesus calls on the Father and there is no answer or response. For the first time, Jesus suddenly finds Himself disconnected from God. It is like God does not exist.
In previous times Jesus has been delighted to say that He and the Father are one. But here the Father withdraws from Him, leaving Him alone. The horror of this leaves Him in agony and despair. The thing He cherished most – His relationship with His Father has been terminated – it is over. Jesus is left alone and cries out in anguish and despair.
The cup that He wants to pass from Him is His abandonment from the Father. The appalling silence from the Father is worse to Him than the fate of death. He faced total and utter rejection from God. This was worse to Him than the terrible physical abuse and rejection from society. In the depth of His inner being, He faced total violation of His divine Sonship with the Father. Note the change in His cry on the cross. This is the only time in the whole of the Gospels that Jesus did not address God as Father. Why? Because Jesus recognises on the cross that God is no longer His Father and He is no longer God’s Son.
2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. Because Jesus has become sin the Father can only despise Him and turn away. The beloved Son, in becoming sin, has become everything the Father despises.
Galatians 3:13 tells us that Jesus became a curse for us – the Son becomes sin, and the Father curses Him.
The beloved Son ceases to be a Son at all – therefore the Father is no longer a Father. Both Father and Son lost what they cherished most. The Son lost His Father and His cherished identity as a Son. The Father lost His Son and His cherished identity as a Father. The most cherished and pure relationship that ever existed in history is severed by sin and the Son and the Father both lost everything they hold dear to them. It was at this point that Jesus gave up His life. Based on His total rejection as a Son He no longer wants to live and releases His Spirit. Why did all of this happen – how could this be allowed to happen? For no other reason but for you and me.
Galatians 2:20 – The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
The revelation of this should cause us to humble ourselves before Him in awe and gratitude. It would be good, at least for a couple of days, to meditate on this before coming to the advent of the resurrection.
WHAT ABOUT SATURDAY?
In the past Easter Saturday – or better – the day between the death and resurrection is seen simply as an in-between day – it is just passing time until the resurrection comes. But there is a lot more in it than this if we care to explore it.
To appreciate this story, we need to hear it not just from our hindsight ability to know the resurrection is coming – but also from the hearts of those who were left bereft – those there at the time who did not know what was to come.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”
Christ’s death was not a passive laying to rest – it was an active interval where something happened. Jesus’ cry on the cross of utter forsakenness, is part of the Christian walk. We will all experience times when we will cry “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”
This cry comes when suffering comes upon us – it is the great cry of “why?” – which Jesus also experienced, not so that we wouldn’t have to, but as part of the human existence. Saturday, literally for Christ’s followers, is about feeling bewildered, lonely, and grossly disappointed. It is not uncommon in our journey.
On Saturday God is silent! We are now dealing with the God Job experienced during all He was going through – a time when even his wife said, “curse God and die!” King David was experiencing this in Psalm 22 when he cries,
Psalm 22:2-3 – “O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.”
God refuses to let us make faith logical. He refuses to let our relationship with Him put Him into a neat formula with certain prayers for certain situations, certain responses to bring certain blessings – or even doing something this way because it worked last time.
God wants something different from us than that – something that takes us into the depths of what a relationship is. What He is really asking is that our relationship with Him is unconditional – even when we feel forsaken.
The Power of Saturday
John 20:1-2 – “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
The empty tomb suggests foul play – Mary thinks that “someone has stolen the body!”
But here lies the power of Easter Saturday. It is the crucified Jesus – the one who was put to death – who rose. The bad news is that humans cannot defeat death – but the Good News is that God can raise us up from the dead. God can overcome the impossible.
The wonder of going from Saturday to Sunday is the total unexpectedness of it. God can suddenly invade a hopeless situation and change it all dramatically.
We must never allow Christianity to lose this hope. Jesus was dead and buried – His life was over – there was no hope for Him or His followers – but God’s grace and power could invade His situation and raise Him up from the dead. And God did. As a result, those standing around feeling lost and morbid because of His death, were suddenly injected with new life, hope and purpose.
Death – whether physical or experiential, is part of the economy of God. But it is never the last word for God. He will never leave us there – it is not the end.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 – “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
What Saturday shows us is that despite yesterday’s defeat, tomorrow’s victory is certain. Nothing can hold us in the grave forever because God won’t allow it. There is often a Saturday in between. We all experience Saturdays – even God did. During Saturday we can look back at where we have been and maybe see what had to change and what needed to be put to death. We can also look forward to where we are going – and work with the Holy Spirit in preparing us for it.
Paul comments on this in 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The Easter experience reveals a great contrast – darkness, night and death comes. But then life breaks through. So here is what we can embrace on Saturday.
- I am dying but new life is coming
- I have failed but victory draws near
- I am sick but healing will come
- I have been shamed but my dignity will be restored
- I despair of life, yet Christ lives within me
That is our great joy – we know Sunday is coming.
THE RESURRECTION
He Has Risen!
Mark 16:6 – “And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”
A most remarkable event in history had now taken place – something that would change the world, and many people’s lives, forever. Jesus Christ has risen. Death could not hold Him down. He is alive and the world will never be the same. He has impacted the world with the power of resurrected life.
- Death was defeated – death could not hold Christ. So now we no longer have to fear death because Christ has triumphed over it.
- Romans 6:9 – “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.”
- It proves that Jesus is the Son of God.
- Romans 1:4 – “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
- If this did not happen it would make Jesus like the millions who had gone before Him. Death defeated Him – but that did not happen to Him. The resurrection proves that He is someone of a unique status.
- We are now true sons before God with an internal inheritance that is imperishable and kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:3-4). We have been justified before God – (Romans 4:25).
- Christ will ultimately judge the world in righteousness – (Acts 17:30-31).
A BRAND NEW CREATION
As a result of the resurrection, a brand-new world was born. And the citizens of this brand-new world are a brand-new race of people – never seen before in world history.
1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;” This applies to all those who are in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Christ, through His death and resurrection, has launched the time of things being set right or free – and that includes people – no matter what they are trapped in.
This is the time of the presence of the Holy Spirit, which means a war of liberation commenced by Him, has broken out. This war is where Christ attacks the fallen world through the power of the resurrection – working most of His power through His people or bride, who are empowered by His Holy Spirit.
This is what the Scriptures mean when they tell us we are a new Creation or clothed as a new creation in Christ. These are people who have been re-created or reborn from above by Christ’s love and have become Christ’s bride. They are now equipped to go out into the world as God’s mighty army.
Romans 6:5 – “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,” Note the distinction between the cross and the resurrection here – this is used deliberately.
Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Our “mortal bodies” mean life today, as well as in the next age.
As is obvious we are not yet beyond the reach of physical death – yet the knowledge that He is, and we are in Him, means that we can participate in the life of the resurrection now – there is a fullness to come but we can enter it now (Hebrews 6:4-5).
Because of the resurrection, we can become what we will ultimately be – right now!
May God bless you.
Bruce Billington.