The Resurrection. Without question is the hallmark of the Christian faith. Our great Faith. Each year this event is celebrated on Easter Sunday as a remembrance to the great sacrifice Christ our Lord, our God, gave. Himself. This act, the greatest act the earth has ever witnessed, is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is the greatest act of love, mercy and grace. This act cannot be topped. It is an act of a perfect, sinless man saving His enemies by sacrificing His own life. Only to defeat death by raising Himself up from the grave 3 days later, ascending to the right hand of God the Father, reconciling all who believe in Him to God the Father, for the Glory of God the Father. (Romans 5:10-11)
It seems only fitting on this special occasion to look at the uncompromising life of Christ and how it lead up to this amazing act, while speaking to the importance of truly living Christ-like.
Grasping The Resurrection
Christ knew what we were up against. He did all He could to prepare us for this very special moment. Throughout scripture He emphasized the importance of faith and the danger of doubting.
- He knew the doubt that rested in the hearts of even His disciples. (Matthew 14:31, Matthew 16:8)
- He knew the doubt that rested in the hearts of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Luke 5:20-21)
- He expressed that having faith and lacking doubt is what saves men. (Luke 7:50)
- Scripture tells us that we can not please God if we doubt. (Hebrews 11:6)
- Jesus Himself prayed against Peter’s doubt. (Luke 22:32)
This is why the death and resurrection is so important to grasp. Christ knew that there must be a visible sign accompanying the spiritual reconciliation of believers unto God. That we would need proof that Christ was in fact God and that He has the power to forgive all sin and save all men. He went as far as to even predict His death and resurrection to further combat the future doubt we would face in our hearts.
“And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:17-19)
Christ Jesus delivered unto us the proof we needed by dying and resurrecting from the grave. But how did He carry out His mission of salvation and why is it so important for us as Christians to understand it?
Jesus Never Compromised
In order to fulfill this mission of salvation Christ had to stand firm and never compromise. Christ had several opportunities to compromise but didn’t. The world would be a completely different place if Christ had compromised with the very same world He came to save. This is a very scary thought considering the current plight the world is now in, even with Christ completing His mission of salvation. Unfortunately Christians today are choosing to do exactly what Christ never even considered. Compromising. By taking a look at the life of Christ we can mirror His choices with the choices of a Christian, revealing how a compromising Christ would have thwarted the plan of salvation.
- (Luke 2:46-47) Like the Christian, Christ had an opportunity to compromise by refusing to become educated on the scriptures. At a young age, His love for the scriptures and understanding of them amazed those around Him. What if Christ chose to neglect this important part of His ministry?
- (Matthew 4:1-11) Like the Christian, under difficult circumstances Christ could have compromised during the temptation in the wilderness. He could have made excuses for falling to temptation. What if he made excuses about his situation being too difficult?
- (Luke 4:29) Like the Christian, Jesus was presented with the issue of standing for the Truth or being hated. By His own people no less. What if Jesus decided to compromise with His hometown while teaching a different message elsewhere for the sake of popularity?
- (Luke 17:11-19) Like the Christian, Christ was presented with doing the unpopular by healing lepers. It was customary for lepers to live away from the community and to announce themselves as “Unclean” from a distance. He did what was unpopular to men but was favorable in the sight of God, for the Truth. What if He chose to only do what was popular?
- (Matthew 26:53-54) Like the Christian, Christ had an opportunity to forsake His mission with an easy escape plan. He refused and held steadfast. What if He chose to annihilate everyone and abort His mission for the “easy way out”?
- (Matthew 27:39-40) Like the Christian, Christ was faced with forsaking His faith to avoid the pain of death. What if He decided the mission wasn’t worth it?
Uncompromising Love
Instead what we see is Christ’s uncompromising love for His people. What we see is Christ never giving up, willing to endure all things for the sake of saving mankind from the wrath of God. His resurrection displays the completeness of His mission. It delivers to us a faith that is unshakeable, knowing that our God sent His son to save us. Christ endured the ultimate punishment that no human was capable of bearing, for the sake of all humanity. He did not waiver. He did not compromise.
So on this day of Easter that we choose to celebrate our great Lord, King and Savior we would do well to follow in His footsteps. Let us not compromise The Faith by muddling our celebration with confusing practices of Easter Egg hunts. Let us not become 1 day Christians, deceiving ourselves into thinking we are in The Faith. Let us not commit ourselves to anything or any practice that confuses the greatest day in all of history. Let us not forget the many brethren who are facing brutal persecution all over the world for Christ’s sake. Let us stand against the world for the sake of the Gospel. For the sake of Truth. Let us be Christian! Let us not compromise!
Peace and Grace