As you probably know, today was Easter (video). The day that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the grave, defeating Satan, sin and death. We as Christians celebrate this day, and have for almost 2 millenia. What's interesting is that for much longer how this day was celebrated before Jesus' resurrection.
I work at Mars Hill Church and last week we heard Pastor Mark Driscoll talk about "The Day of Atonement" (the intro is kind of intense, but you can take it). He walks through what was needed for all those years prior to atone for ones sins while the Israelites waited for their messiah.
In his book "Vintage Jesus," Pastor Mark quotes from Blaise Pascal's "Pensees" on all the prophecy that took place in the Old Testament:
If a single man had written a book foretelling the time and manner of Jesus' coming, and Jesus had come in conformity with these prophecies, this would carry infinite weight. But there is much more here. There is a succession of men over a period of 4,000 years, coming consistently and invariably one after the other, to foretell the same coming; there is an entire people proclaiming it, existing for 4,000 years to testify in a body to the certainty they feel about it, from which they cannot be deflected by whatever threats and persecutions they may suffer. This is of a quite different order of importance.
Mark lists 25 of those prophecies and their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. What's more is that there are still a good number of those prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled, what co-author Gerry Breshears calls the "lion prophecies," what we have to look forward to.
As I spent the day with my wife and kids, eating a FEASTer with my church family, reflecting on the work Jesus did on the cross and what took place to get Him there, I have been amazed. Yet, it brings me to tears to think that He was nailed to that cross because of the sin that I've committed against those I listed, even today.
I pray that you and yours had a day that was filled with the remembrance of what happened, and that each Sunday, as you approach the Lords Table you'll stop and remember what is being represented in that meal and what it took to have our sins washed.
2 Timothy 2:8-138 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself. (ESV)
Links
Pastor Mark Driscoll on Facebook and Twitter
