Good Friday 2008

Easter is back again and I looked forward for this huge event of the year because I get to meet up with all the “chabohs” from other churches..err no, I mean I get to eat Easter eggs and mutilate bunnies..err not really, I mean I get to celebrate Christ death and resurrection on Easter. Anyway, for those who know me better will know that I’m not serious with the first 2 reasons right...(maybe the first reason would be a secondary attraction..not the main one..hehe).

What is Easter all about anyway? Or Good Friday? To cut things short, Good Friday (Easter) is not about Easter eggs or Easter bunnies. That’s all got to do with sales marketing. They made a mascot out of that day which is the bunny, get some tangible products to attract kiddies by coloring chicken eggs, and create some story to convince customers that Good Friday is all about their products. Thus, we get an over-publicized Easter season in the western countries.

There isn’t such a big hoo haa in Malaysia though since it’s considered an Islamic country and we don’t get public holiday for Easter (Sad huh). Or maybe the Islamic do not recognize this occasion as a public holiday because they do not believe that Jesus died on the cross at Calvary and rose on the third day. They believed that it was Judas who was hanged on that cross instead of Jesus and somehow that’s why they don’t recognize Easter as a universal event even though it’s in the calendar.

Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What does resurrection means? It means that a dead being is brought back to life and never to die again! Totally awesome! Kawa Banga! A resurrection or should I say the resurrection! What’s so special about the resurrection of Jesus Christ? What does it got to do with me and why should we care about it anyway? It’s not a holiday anyway so that makes it an any ordinary working or schooling day in Malaysia. But I beg to differ, the resurrection of Christ is what makes Christianity different from all other religions. Oh that statement makes me a religious bias or religious racist since I’m putting Christianity on top of all other religions. Before you shut me off, I would like to ask you a question: did any of the other religious pengasas raised from the dead to prove that they are special or different? The prophet Muhammad didn’t raised from the dead; Gautama didn’t raised from the Dead and all the rest of the pengasas is still in the tomb till today except Jesus Christ! Jesus’ tomb lies empty until this day simply because He is not dead. He is alive! No believe? Well, He did appear in front of 500 over eye witnesses after His resurrection. To say that He didn’t die at the first place? Well, historically the Roman soldier pierced his spear on Jesus’ side to make sure that He’s dead on the cross before taking Him down, wrapped and placed in the tomb that is being shut by a huge boulder to ensure no one can go in and steal His body, and as if that’s not enough, the Roman guards placed 2 guard post over His tomb to make sure that no one can go near that tomb. Why so kin cheong over a dead person anyway? Do you see any logic behind all the security measures that has been taken by the Roman soldiers?

The simple reason is this: Jesus told His disciples that He will rise from the dead after the third day of His death. Tada! That’s why the Jews (the people who put Jesus to death) were afraid that it would happen because that would jeopardize their religion at that time. They had to make sure that Jesus will be dead and stay dead in the tomb just like anybody else in order to make Jesus a liar for saying that He is able to raise from the dead after three days. Alas, that was not the case because Jesus indeed rose from the dead! The huge boulder that shut the entrance of the tomb was rolled away exposing the tomb and the body of Christ was not found in that tomb. He appeared to all his disciples and other eye witnesses to prove his Resurrection. In rising from the dead, He claims to be who He is: the Son of God and being that He is able to save you and me because He has broken the power of sin and conquered death!

What’s this thing about saving you and me? Do we need to be saved? Saved from what? The simple answer would be: the wrath of God; to save us from the wrath of God. Why is God angry with us? Is God supposed to be loving and caring? Why is there wrath since God “should” be loving? First of all, God is loving but He is also holy. All of us are sinful people and the meaning of sin simply means that anything that goes against God. If we just lied just once whether it be a white lie or a black lie, in God's eyes that makes us a liar even though we lied once only. Even if we just hate a person in our heart, in God's eyes we are considered as murderers because once we hate that person in our hearts, we have already 'murdered' him in our heart even though it is not acted out. If this is God's standard, how then can we face Him at all? Our sin makes us enmity to God and God being a holy and just God, He will punish us for our sins by sending us to hell. Eternal condemnation to hell. However, God knew that we could not possibly come to God with our own works thus God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth in order to redeem us from condemnation by living a perfect life on earth and die for us as a substitute. Which means that we will no longer be punished for our sins but be saved by the work of Christ when we trust on Him to take our sins away.

That's why it is called Good Friday! Even though it is the to commemorate the death of Christ, (why would anyone say good when a person dies??! I would whack that fella if anyone says that it is good when my parents die.) it is a day to celebrate because Christ didn't just die, He rose from the dead on the third day! He is alive today and forever more!

Friends, if you are reading this, I want to let you know that Jesus loves you that He have died in your place to redeem you from your sins so that you might have eternal life upon trusting in Him.This is the gift of Easter.It is a free gift of God and even though it is free, it is not cheap because it demands the life of Jesus Christ.

"For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Romans 6:23