More than 2000 years ago in the land of Palestine emerged a Prophet, Jesus.
The striking features of his ministry were the miracles, wonders, signs and radical teaching. He gave eyes to the blind and hearing to the deaf, raised the dead and fed crowds of thousands.
After three years of this powerful Ministry, by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge, Jesus was handed over to wicked men who put him to death by nailing him to the Cross.
However, death could not hold Jesus to the grave and on the third day he rose again defeating death, sin and Satan.
Holy Trinity
Who is Jesus and why did he defeat Satan?
Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He is divine, eternal and pre-existent but became completely human.
The biblical story of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection show disparity from other religions in many ways.
Firstly, God is one. He is the Trinity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, unlike other mythical Gods, Jesus suffered a torturous, mortifying and cruel death on the Cross to complete the Mission of Father God – to redeem humanity from the bondage of Satan.
To understand the Easter story we must go back to the very beginning to the creation of the world.
God created a world that was good without any sin, death and disease. Sin came into the world with the disobedience of the first human couple – Adam and Eve.
Satan tempted them to disobey and eat the fruit of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The aftermath of this episode was the estrangement of Adam and Eve with God and with the rest of the creation, affecting all future generations.
God, who is holy and just, removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden because they failed to keep His command. At the same time, God in His compassion and mercy devised a plan to restore humanity; to restore “the paradise lost” due to their sin and to redeem them.
A covenant
Several centuries later God made a covenant with Abraham who was a righteous man of great faith. God promised to not only bless Abraham and his descendants alone but also to restore and bless all the peoples of the world through his ‘seed.’
None of the promises that God made with His Prophet Abraham and his descendants failed. Due to this covenant with Abraham, God delivered the descendants of Abraham from the slavery of Egyptians through His servant Prophet Moses.
Ten Commandments
God gave the law through the Prophet Moses.
Disobedience to the law wrought curses on the people while obedience brought blessings. Yet, the people failed to keep God’s law.
Once again God provided provision; atonement for sins could be made through sacrificing a lamb that was without any blemish.
Year after year, animals were sacrificed before God but people lacked a genuine desire to turn to God. They failed to understand that the law was a means of relating to a personal God.
God desired to re-establish the same relationship that He once had with Adam.
He sent His prophets and messengers who brought God’s word to the wayward humanity.
Finally, God sent his Son Jesus.
On the Cross, Jesus died to redeem humanity from the curses that they brought on themselves due to their disobedience. Jesus’ death on the Cross is the ultimate and perfect sacrifice; it was acceptable to God because Jesus was without sin and his blood was innocent.
Sins forgiven
Jesus Christ said, “My blood is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” His blood redeems us from sin and gives us righteousness and eternal life. His sacrifice par excellence the Old Testament sacrificial system because Jesus reconciles the believers and restores the relationship that was broken by Adam’s sin.
Jesus Christ came to fulfil the promises made with Abraham. He came to fulfil the law. For just as through the disobedience of one man (Adam), many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man (Jesus Christ) many will be made righteous.
The Cross enunciates God’s righteousness, justice, forgiveness, grace and love.
Kezia Zafar was born and raised in Pakistan. She lives in Upper Hutt with her husband and their three children. This year, Easter will be marked in New Zealand on April 20.
