Some Thoughts for Easter Week 2011
It seems to me, the reason people think Jesus spoke vaguely is because they do not grasp or understand that he was speaking plainly.
The concept of the trinity (a unified Godhead of three distinct persons of the same essence/substance; eternally energized by the boundless devotion of self-giving love) coupled with the concept of grace (freely gifted, inexhaustible, wholly unmerited favor) is beyond the realm of human invention.
Religion, mysticism, and mythology are filled with flawed gods; they are comprehensible. The common thread in all of man’s religions is salvation by attainment. This again is comprehensible; knowing all our relationships are merit based, it follows that any relationship with a god would ultimately be the same. Thus, the definable reach of our understanding is the containing limitation of our gods. Agnostics state the vanity of attempting to exceed our understanding by summarizing beyond its known edge as unknowable.
Consequently, the endless frustration of the scholarly arguments will continue in perpetuity until brilliance dawns with the awareness that God is not a creation of man! We are not that good, smart, capable or imaginative, in spite, of our intellect and industry! Our ego; self reliance coupled with our continual measuring of our standing in some form of evolutional pecking order; based on academic, monetary or physical superiority ironically reverts us back to the first known lie. That is: by defying God we will have access to withheld knowledge capable of making us as God.
The experiential observation of our individual lives comes into continual conflict with the supposedly higher understanding of removing God from the equation. We become tossed into the churning waters of self actualization, existentialism and the latest definition of post-modern relativism. The questions of soul and spirit, morality, conscience are not satisfactorily answered by the ‘better primate’ model.
I have always been fascinated by the fact that the scriptures never attempt to prove God’s existence. The very first verse states “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) There is not an implied if or perhaps.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7)
This is the starting point for understanding and wisdom. It is not accompanied with a list of prices per credit hour. ‘ … that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident in them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1: 19 -25) These scriptures were written in the 1st century AD long before much of the philosophical inanity of today was proffered. There are many today who can also claim credit for perpetuating the idiocy; maintaining the tradition of calling foolishness wisdom.
I would like to thank the iconic theologian, Ms Oprah Winfrey, for assuring us that “Jesus was too humble to claim to be God.” Perhaps what was omitted by her producers in her ‘show prep’ notes was this statement by Jesus; as a 33yr old, he claimed to be the Yahweh (I am) of the Old Testament and preexist Abraham’s birth over 2100 years earlier. “Truly, truly I say unto you before Abraham was born, I am. Therefore they picked up stones to throw at him…” (John 8:58-59) The Jews listening understood quite clearly what he was claiming. Or when he claimed to exceed the authority of Moses and the law For example: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states repeatedly ‘You have heard…but I say to you’ Matthew 5: 21 & 22, 27 & 28, 31 & 32, 37 & 38, 43 & 44. Understanding that Jesus’ miracles were not magic, but demonstrations of His power over sickness, nature, life and sin including forgiveness; which were all under the sole domain of God’s authority.
I am sure that when Ms Winfrey’s producers read “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” …”and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1 and 14) they will alter the notes. Jesus’ humility is clearly understood by the Apostle Paul as he exhorted the believers: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
Ms Winfrey may be able to afford a very stylish mat, but her knee also falls under the large category of “EVERY”! Perhaps her producers will help her to understand that God was so humble; He became a man and claimed to be Jesus.
Personally, I have been pondering Thomas’ dilemma. As a disciple, he walked with Jesus for 3 years, experienced all of his discourses, personal tutorials, mannerisms and behavior. He knew the other 10 apostles as close friends, sharing in their questions and discussions. It was Thomas who, when Jesus was foretelling his departure, asked about the ‘way’. Thomas was the one addressed by Jesus’ reply: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. If you had known me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” (John 14:6 & 7) When Thomas witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross; the miracles, the Messiah fulfillment, the noble discourses soured in disillusion.
When he was told, by his personal friends of Jesus’ resurrection, I believe, because he understood the significance of such a phenomena; he declared: “Unless I see in His hand the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) After eight days, Thomas was with his friends when Jesus appeared. Invited to fulfill his requirement, Thomas addressed Jesus as: “My Lord and My God!” (John 20:28
Wow! Even though, Jesus went from Son to Forsaken to Son on the cross declaring: “It is finished! (John 19:30) The redemption, propitiation, reconciliation and therefore, salvation were done! The validation of its authority was vindicated by the resurrection!
The zeal of the Apostles was now manifest, remembering Jesus’ words about His life; “No one has taken it away from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from my Father.” (John 10:18) Without the resurrection, there is not sufficient validation to pursue the life of an absolute dedication. Their commitment and those that followed made the early spread of Christianity a miracle in itself as this was a capital offense for the next 300 years; punishable by death, usually preceded by torture! They all died because they proclaimed Christ as LORD!
They went forth boldly declaring, “By common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations; Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
The Apostle Paul elaborates on the purpose: “…God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9)Thank you Thomas for understanding the significance of the resurrection and thank you Jesus, My Lord and My God!
