Easter - Part 1

During the resurrection season, we rejoice in the fact that we serve a risen Savior.  Similarly to His entry into this world, there are some individuals who had a key role in the narrative of the events that conspired that would become a part of the historical and biblical narrative for all time.  As a reminder, the people around us can influence our lives, but we must realize that nothing can happen that will surprise God and not be a part of his divine plan.

Woman Anointing Christ Just Prior to Passover

Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9

Many times when we look at this woman, we will overlook why she played a key role in the final events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Here, we see an unnamed person who would seem to have little to be noticed, but ultimately has an important role in the final days of Christ’s life.  We see that she brings in an expensive perfume, anoints the head of Christ.  This woman would cause many alarms in today’s society and during this time period. This is because the money could have been used for better purposes and seemed wasteful of precious resources.

When there were those who chastised the woman for spending the money unnecessarily, Christ was quick to point out the amount of money for the anointing oil could have been spent on the poor, this was necessary for the upcoming burial.  Matthew 26:12 gives us additional insight that the oils used were those used in burial.  Christ advised that the poor would always be there, but He would not.  Regarding the resurrection story, we, too, should prepare our hearts to remember what Christ has done for us and be ready to serve Him no matter the cost.

Judas Iscariot

When we look at Judas, we are usually quick to look at the negative aspects of his life.  We often ask how someone could be that close to the Messiah and take such a drastic turn that would lead to his betrayal and then the eventual death and resurrection of the Messiah.  Judas was a person that was very focused on money and making sure that there was plenty of money either to provide for their needs or enough to be in excess (we do know that he ends up keeping money out of the treasury for himself).  Instead, as Christ showed multiple times in His ministry, their needs would be fulfilled by trusting in Him and not the money that Judas gave his focus. This focus on money is eventually what would cause him to make an arrangement with the religious leaders to betray Christ in the end.  

We must realize that Christ had to be surrendered for the cross.  Sadly, the tool that accomplished this was someone you would not have expected within his circle of followers.  At the same time, this was a part of the plan because Christ still knew the heart of Judas from the very beginning.  We should not be quick to judge Judas for his actions, as something similar is occurring in our society.  Amongst Christians today, there are an alarming number of people that have quit going to church, quit reading their Bibles, and have very little, if any, communication with Him in prayer.  For lack of better terms, they have abandoned the closeness that they once experienced with Christ, only to give into something that has taken them from Christ.  It is a willful decision of these people that has led to their separation.  This Easter season, we should not be so quick to judge Judas without first examining our own hearts and evaluating if we are in danger, not of betrayal, but instead, the abandonment of our faith because the temptations are too difficult to withstand.  This Easter season, as we remember what Christ endured for us, we should strive to keep ourselves close to Him.

Pilate

Just like at the beginning of Christ’s birth story, we see here that a ruler is playing an active part in the narrative of His death and resurrection.  Pilate was an individual who experienced great turmoil during his reign.  The Jews despised Rome, and as a result, there was great tension, resulting in a revolt.  Now, seeing that someone was causing trouble, he was trying to find a way to keep the peace between Rome and the religious leaders.  The only problem was that the person they brought to him didn’t seem to add up to being a part of the problem.  When it came time for Jesus to be brought before trial, we see that while Pilate had reservations as to the legality of Christ being crucified, he allowed it to happen because of fear. Fear that if He didn’t allow it, the control over the region would be lost, and his superiors in Rome would kill him instead.  Pilate had no idea that everything that was going on was part of what had been prophesied long ago.  The fact that the prophets of the Old Testament gave such detail about how Christ would suffer goes to show God's true sovereignty over even our lives today.  So much so that Jesus, in his trial, gives Pilate a rebuke that the position and power were still under the control of God, and His perfect plan would still be executed.  As Christians, we should not look to our own abilities this Easter season, but instead focus on what God has for us to do while on this earth and follow His plan and guidance.

Caiaphas

When we look at Caiaphas and his role in the final days of Christ’s life, we see a great tragedy that has come about.  Here is the leader of the people's worship of God, who has become spiritually blinded to the truth in front of Him.  His knowledge of the Old Testament would have been one of the best, but when Christ came before him, the connections to the known prophecies did not correlate to the Messiah before him.  Christians today can fall into a similar trap and have a strong knowledge of the words of God but miss the understanding of the words because of a preconceived idea of what they should mean.  As a result of his knowledge, Caiaphas saw the Messiah as a physical king who would conquer Rome and restore the kingdom that David had previously built.  Caiaphas failed to see that the kingdom was eternal and that spiritual salvation was what Christ was coming to provide.  We must not let our personal thoughts and concepts dissuade us from the truth that God’s word provides.  Many people will take the words of Christ and make them fit within their ideas and values.  However, the exact opposite should occur; we should start with the Bible and then formulate our ideas and values in a manner that will reflect the true nature that God intends for us.  

As Christians, we have a story; there is nothing in it that is a surprise to God.  There will be people in our paths that will often not be the encouraging part of our lives.  While we know the great ending that has occurred, as we look at the Easter story, we do not want to forget that this was not an easy road for Christ. When we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, we should never forget the price that was paid for our salvation, and how people around Him, in almost all cases, deserted Him, in a time of great need.  For us as believers, let us learn to never leave someone to go through a spiritual battle alone.  If you feel alone, always remember that Christ is there with you, and ultimately, all will go according to His plan.  Know that while the price may be high, He will be glorified in the end.  In our next blog, we will see several people who recognized Christ for who He was during the final leg of His earthly journey and ensured that He was adequately cared for.