EASTER IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Mathhew 28:1-2 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
According to the Gospels Jesus had seven sayings on the cross. Many, especially secular scholars agree that only one of them could be seen as really authentic because it is almost a self-implicating statement, the famous “My God my God why you have forsaken me? ”
Secular scholars stipulate that this statement contains such a negative shadow on the level of the redemption Jesus should have carried that this statement could not be a later invented legend. They say, that if the early Gospels, Mark and Matthew included this saying, where Jesus seemingly admitted his defeat, then it is included in the Passion story, merely because they were not able to leave it out, for it really happened, as the direct witnesses heard it and preserved it as a vivid memory in the early congregation of the Jesus followers.
Nonetheless, of course, the secular scholars are wrong, when they are accusing Jesus with confusion and weakness on the cross, because Jesus just quoted the 22nd Psalm in his agony, which exactly begins with this famous sentence, that My God, My God why you have forsaken me.
The reciting of this Psalm on the cross was completely legitimate from Jesus, as this text was the most commonly recited prayer by dying people. And above all according to the religious researchers this 22nd song contains many descriptive details as a prophecy that the Messiah will have to suffer. We have just to read the 22nd psalm a little bit further to find astonishing links in the text. It is written in it, that “A company of evil-doers have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
All the other six sayings of Jesus on the cross are independently stated by a single gospel but never repeated by an other gospel.
Among these we have the word of forgiveness that" Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do". We have the word of salvation, when he answered to the crucified thieve, that " Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." We have what he said to his mom, and to the unnamed disciple whom Jesus loved, that "Woman, behold, thy son! Behold, thy mother!" Before he died they gave him a suspicious drink, as a sponge was soaked in the wine and lifted up to Jesus on a reed; when he complained, " I thirst ". It is called the word of distress.
In the moment he gave up his ghost, he said that " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit". This statement is called the word of reunion.
A moment even before that, but also after receiving the suspicious drink, he declared that it is finished. It is called the word of triumph.
Regarding our Easter celebration, when Jesus said that, it is finished, it has a monumental significance, as Easter indeed is a victory but the final victory of Easter was achieved on the Cross, and Jesus summarized his victory in the statement of “ it is finished. ” Some secular scholars again dispute, that this was again an expression of distress or even apathy in the agony.
However, the Greek word, which was used to translate the declaration, that "It is finished" is tetelestai (τετέλεσται). It does not mean that something or somebody is destroyed, because of collapse, losing structure or consciousness, when disorganizing entropy or death is immanent. It rather means that something is accomplished, like the job is finished, moreover even well done, when the goal is reached. It can be also understood as a contract is consummated, like the New Covenant as a contract between God and humanity is completely delivered, when all, what were agreed, are accomplished.
On official business receipts, the Greek word tetelestai was also used to denote, that "The debt is paid in full". Some religious scholars insist, it means in the Gospel, that on the cross Jesus paid out all the debt of humanity, past, present and future, thus he is indeed the direct redeemer of humanity, like when somebody pays the ransom for the people in captivity or subjugated by slavery, and freeing them. It sounds sweet, however the Biblical view of the prophets, like Ezekiel, suggests that even the redemption is not that simple, like Jesus finished the job, and there is nothing else to do anymore, and the mere faith in Jesus is enough to be saved from hell and the eternal damnation for anyone, and it is enough to enter Heaven. Quite the opposite. We have to earn Heaven by our actions born from and accompanied with good faith.
When he said, it is finished, the debt was paid, it was not likely a direct payment for all the sins of all humans, otherwise in the very moment of his victory on the cross, it should have ushered immediately, but at latest on Resurrection Sunday, that the kingdom of God is established on Earth, all the dead are resurrected, all evil were permanently defeated, death was eradicated as an institution, no sickness, no suffering of the innocent any more, and no more fear, no more tears. This had not ever happened, for it does not work on that way.
We tend to forget about his full fledged humanity, as he was not born as a perfect human being, but as a child. The Gospel of Luke wrote about the child Jesus, that “ Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, that Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, (…) , he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of … the death of the cross. ”
Nonetheless, till the point of the cross, he had to learn in his whole life, to develop in wisdom and judgment, gradually becoming fully aligned with the love and the will of God. That is why it was not an option for him to run away into exile, or to use his destined divinity to destroy the Roman legions, or just saving himself from the cross, by a show off miracle.
Nonetheless, it was a temptation, to do exactly that, as it is in the Gospel. That is why he prayed in the Garden of the Gethsemane, that “ My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.” He even warned his disciples that “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He did not sin, but he was tempted like all of us. However, the perfect being can not even be tempted, but he had to fight the temptation and overcome it.
The final battle of fighting the temptation was the cross and to stay obedient to God through suffering death as an innocent. That was the ultimate trial and accomplishment of paying the debt of the inherent nature of the human being subjected to temptation even in him.
Death is an institution to punish sin. Because, he overcame all temptations and stayed sinless, death did not have power over him. It was an utmost necessity that he must have resurrected, as it was foretold. However, his resurrection was not the end of the road, as it is obvious, but the very beginning of a supposed to be a progress, as he told the disciples that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, which meant exactly that go and change the world for the better in my name. ”
That is why when the Sabbath day of the rest was over, he was resurrected from the dead on the very first day of the week, which is Sunday, like demonstrating, that let us get to work.
We do not really see that the world changed for the better because of Christianity, rather it keeps sinking every day, and all the prayers and Christian rituals look powerless to stop it.
The reason is, exactly this, we think that we can just wait idly for the returning Christ, who on the cross accomplished everything to overcome sin and death, now he will accomplish also the changing of the word, and we do not need to do anything just waiting patiently until the Christ reappear. However, it is not the case, or at least not directly. Our Master resides in Heaven, and we, the body of Christ must act on Earth according to his Spirit. We must change the world, by becoming the living witnesses of Jesus, becoming the examples of keeping his commandments by any means, teaching all nations that they shall keep the commandments, to create peace and prosperity, freedom and care for all, according to the will of God, with the grace of the merits of the Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
