Lingering Over Easter

So, from where I stand, I can still see Easter pretty clearly in my rearview mirror. It was only one week ago, on March 31st, 2024, that we celebrated Resurrection Sunday, and I've said before that I feel like we need to extend Easter. You've found Kingdom Offerings, this is the podcast environment of 100 Fold Ministries, and we love to talk about the Kingdom of God. And I want to talk about it in the context of Easter a little bit longer, because usually about the time we get in the mood to celebrate Easter, the moment's over. And I get it that Ash Wednesday kind of kicks off the worship of Christ on the cross some 40 days ago, but I don't know, it doesn't feel like the Church doesn't seem to make much of a deal out of the Lenten season so much anymore, and so it kind of passes slowly or quickly, but not with a lot of consideration. So I don't really think we get started in earnest in celebrating Easter until Palm Sunday, one week ahead, then the next weekend, and then it's over. And I guess I could look at this somewhat thankfully, because I guess Resurrection Sunday hasn't been co-opted by our culture for monetary purposes like Christmas has been. Christmas seems to start sometime in September, at least in Target with Christmas music. So what I want to look at this week is that when we come to the end of Holy Week, when we come to His ultimate passion, His betrayal, His death on the cross, and ultimately His resurrection, I feel like the whole story is just dripping with irony. I want to talk about that a little bit today. So we're going to back it up just a little bit, Resurrection Sunday, to the middle of the Passion Week on Thursday night. It's the Jewish month of Nisan, that's April roughly for us, and that's about A.D. 30, most people think, 30 years after the birth of Christ, probably more like 34 years. And on that night, the middle of the night, Judas makes good on his plans to betray Jesus for a modest 30 pieces of silver. I find that a bit ironic that the most priceless man in the universe could be bought for 30 pieces of silver. It's all happening in the Garden of Gethsemane, just outside of Jerusalem. And I want to say that Jesus knew exactly what was coming, and He was praying with His frame being crushed in agony under the weight of the task ahead. He said, My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death. It was about then that the temple guards, a few Roman soldiers added in, probably to keep it all from getting out of hand, and they became prepared for battle with clubs and swords. And ironically, this mob was facing a crowd of 11 fishermen and commoners. Pretty ironic that the betrayal was codified in a kiss. Then the friends of Jesus fled and left Him alone, and Jesus was taken to the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin, at least the part that was set aside to try Him that night. And that's interesting, isn't it, that they were ready to put Him on trial in the middle of the night. Of course, that's illegal. And they only had some of the Sanhedrin announced, and of course, that's illegal. It is the legal protectors of God's law who are defiantly breaking God's law for their own purposes that they might murder the giver of life. How ironic. So, in the end, the decisive charge was blasphemy. The high priest said, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And curiously, this time, Jesus answered. And He said, I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power, coming with the clouds of heaven. The high priest tore his garment and said, What further witnesses do we need? You've heard His blasphemy. What's your decision? And they all condemned Him as deserving death. And of course, that's terribly ironic, isn't it, because they're committing murder worthy of death, and they're charging Jesus with a crime worthy of death. He that must be worshipped is being murdered. They spit in His face, and they strike Him, and they say, Prophesy to us, you Christ. Who is it that struck you? And, you know, I find that ironic. The God who knows everything is being mocked for not knowing. Ironic. Meanwhile, in the courtyard nearby, His disciple Peter, who had said, If I must die with you, I will not deny you. Ironically, then denies Him three times. I do not know the man. And somehow in that courtyard, Jesus was able to catch His eye in that moment, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. But the ironic story continues. They deliver Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate, who, of course, is this brutal, strong man who's known for his cruelty. And ironically, he is the one voice of reason in this whole story. Early in the morning, maybe six o'clock in the morning, after a private interrogation with Jesus, Pilate learns that Jesus is from Galilee and that Herod Antipas is there, who is the ruler, the puppet Jewish ruler of Galilee, is in Jerusalem because of the Passover. And so Pilate sends him to Herod. And ironically, Herod has been looking forward to meeting Jesus. You see, he was hoping to see Jesus do a miracle. And when Jesus declines, I'm thinking not for lack of power, but Herod really didn't deserve any special attention. And so Herod and his soldiers, his lackeys, then treated Jesus with contempt. They beat him and mocked him, put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. And about this time, it's a little bit later in the morning, maybe eight o'clock, and the crowd gathers for a strange custom. Pilate offers to release a prisoner, and he gave the crowd a choice between Jesus, the innocent man, and Barabbas, the notorious terrorist who had committed murder in an insurrection. And in my mind, ironically, they choose Barabbas, the murderer, and cry out for Jesus, the innocent, to be crucified. Free a murderer, murder an innocent man. How ironic. They made him out to be an imperial threat who claimed to be a king. See, the Jews ironically pushed the button that Jesus was a threat to the powerful Caesar when what stood before Pilate was a beaten half-dead man, a Jewish rabbi abandoned by his followers. Ironic. If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself to be a king opposes Caesar, the words of the Jews. And interestingly, we find it's that Pilate, the most powerful man in that area, has been backed into a corner by a mob, a rabble, of Jews. And now we too have to make a choice. I find it ironic that there are voices right now, on this weekend, who will say that Jesus died and that God is dead. And yet there are others who will say that the king who was once dead will live again, and long live the king. Someone will say that the voice of the Christian is the voice of hate and judgment. But scripture called Jesus the voice of love and grace and truth incarnate. Ironic, isn't it, that the world hates Jesus and Jesus loves the world? My guess is, is that we will all someday see the king of power, the son of man, as we read in Daniel 7, as Jesus said, seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven, the king eternal. This is Dave Scherrerrer, and this is Kingdom Offerings, and I invite you to let King Jesus of Easter linger over you for a little while. Connect with us here at 104Ministries or say hello to me at Dave at 104Ministries.org. Take care.