A Different Perspective
To many this would be the end of the story, however in telling it we’ve kept back a key moment in the timeline of events. A moment which views the story in a whole new perspective. The day before Jesus rode into Jerusalem for passover, Jesus took his closest friends away from the crowds and told them something in secret.
“Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive.”
Throughout this entire story, Jesus was fully aware of everything that had been happening. The rising tension between Israel and Rome. Judas’ secret meeting and agreement with the religious leaders. The narrowing window of opportunity for his arrest. The growing fear of revolution.
Jesus was not subject to these circumstance, but created the circumstance. He orchestrated the perfect series of events which led to his death. He choreographed it not to prove that he could die, but to prove that he could live. That he could beat death and was beyond human. His claims of being the son of God were true and he has the right to grant life to others.
A depiction of the tomb entrance with the stone rolled away.
3 days after his death, on Sunday morning, a friend of Jesus’ called Mary went to visit his tomb to mourn. She was surprised to see it empty. She wept alone by the tomb, mourning the loss of her friend and now his body. As she wept a man approached her and asked why she was weeping, she explained the situation. So swept up in her mourning she paid little attention to him.
It was Jesus. With nail damaged hands and feet, but alive in the flesh. Mary suddenly realised who it was and after embracing him, he instructed her to go tell his other friends that he was alive.
Jesus spent the remainder of his days on earth with his closest friends, eating food and enjoying their company. At 33 years of age, Jesus voluntarily returned to heaven without dying.
Jesus’ closest friend, Peter, founds an organisations with two aims; to share this incredible story with others, and to follow the teachings and example of Jesus. Other (more literate) friends of Jesus create written accounts of the 3 years of their time with Jesus, including Jesus’ teachings, miracles and events surrounding his death and resurrection.
Today
Many believe that the ancient prophecy of a conquering king has not happened. Since it was invaded in 1850 BC, Israel has never occupied the promised land as promised to them. However, this assumes the prophecy is literal. That the promised land means land and freedom of oppressors currently means freedom from Palestinian occupation. But Christian’s don’t believe that. Christians believe the prophecy to be far bigger than that.
Human nature tends humans towards oppression. Looking at recent history, human nature has led the world to war twice and to the brink of nuclear annihilation. On an individual level, we tend towards laziness, greed, pride, anger, jealousy, and selfishness. We hold within us such potential to damage to those around us and ourselves. We are inherently oppressed by human nature. Jesus’s death offers us freedom from that oppression. Proving he was the son of God, he has the right to offer life to us. Jesus came not to lead us to the literal promised land but to the promise of life free from oppression and accessing the fullness of life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so whoever believes in him, will not be oppressed but have eternal life.”
If this account of the Easter story has affected you in any want or you feel the need to reach out and find out more, please let us know by filling in the form below. We’d love to talk to you.