Time has told us that Easter is something very special and that we should take it seriously. Almost 2000 years ago a single man, Jesus Christ, was sent to this earth by his Father (God) to redeem, restore, renew and radicalize all of humanity.
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (From Bible Gateway, NIV)
This passage in Philipians reminds me on this Holy Week the very nature of God. And I’d like to take just a few moments to capture these words from my heart to you.
The first part of this verse tells me of God’s heart toward humanity, “Who being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Jesus became God (John 1:1) and in God’s very same nature, thus making God and Jesus equal, came to the earth. Jesus coming to the earth was nothing to be grasped. The Message says, “He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!”
Jesus didn’t have to come down with guns blaring ready to shoot people up, he came down, “humbled himself as a servant.” He came down and became one of us. This is spelled out perfectly in the Gospels when Jesus tells people after a miracle or a healing, “Don’t tell anyone yet, its not time. If you say it too soon it will not be good.” And most of the people even though they heard Jesus say that, did not listen to Jesus when he said that. Many times after Jesus instructed the people not to say anything yet, they immediately went and told people.
Yet he didn’t get mad or upset, he went on his way and did not begrudgingly say to the people, “Will you leave me alone, I’m tired of you people.” Rather he loved them with all of his heart, for that heart was the love that crucified him to the cross. Jesus made himself with the appearance of a man, to “blend in,” like a covert agent who was sent to infiltrate a world with love. David Henderson, Lead Pastor at University City Fellowship has expressed this type of infiltration called, “Guerilla Lovers.” And this is exactly what Jesus was, he was a Guerilla Lover. He came down being the very nature of God, humbled himself as a servant, carried the pain of the cross, died a horrible death of the cross on the hill called Golgotha all to show love. And because Jesus did all of this he was rewarded by being exalted to the highest place in Heaven and on this earth so that, “…every tongue would confess that Jesus is the Lord, to the glory of God his Father.”
Even in the horribleness of the cross, Jesus still did not take the credit, did not take the glory. This was not about him, this was all about God and his power, love and compassion on all of humanity.
Easter is not about Easter Eggs, Jelly Beans and Cadbury eggs, although they are good things, Easter is about the nature of God, his compassion towards his beloved, to show love!
Happy Resurrection Day on Sunday!
Happy Easter Week!
Happy Easter Everyone!
