The Sacrifice of Christ and the Sacrifices of War

Easter represents a cosmic battle. The war over good and evil, darkness over light, eternity vs. death. Christ walked onto a battlefield during the holy week and came out on Easter. We read about Gethsemane and shudder. Jesus faced a torturous death and He knew it. Treated like a common thief, He walked handcuffed out of Gethsemane. But he wasn’t a thief. And he wasn’t just human. He was God. So why did He put up with this?

He did this because He knew something that we can’t wrap our minds around. He saw evil and knew that it strangled us. Evil deep inside each of us and around us. We see murder, torture, and women and children treated like animals. We struggle with our own disturbing thoughts and feelings every day.

To erase the effects of evil on us, God had to wage war. Easter depicts this war- the biggest fought in human history. And He won. But why then, we ask, does evil still exist? Because God won’t change our hearts without our cooperation. He isn’t a bully.

Evil creates an unjust world. But without God ushering us into heaven, justice can’t exist. Women and men who live tormented, children stuck in abuse and girls sex trafficked may live their entire lives this way and then die. If they died and the war of Easter was never won, they would not know heaven. They would lie in the ground. No justice. But because of the battle Christ won, they can look forward to an eternity of bliss. Heaven is their justice.

As Jesus drug the cross up Calvary, many naturally felt sorry for him. We hear that he was the ‘lamb’ nailed to the cross. A tiny animal who was innocent and weak.

But make no mistake. Jesus was no little lamb. He was a warrior like a lion staring evil in the face. He saw evil that we can’t fathom. As he died, darkness fell over the earth and he cried out. I don’t think this happened because God felt sorry for him. I think the darkness came because Jesus was engaged in the toughest part of the war.  Like Aslan, Jesus roared like the fiercest warrior. Then He died. Those who loved him didn’t know what had happened. Did he win or lose?  The ultimate battle was waged but no one knew who won.

Then Easter came and Christ got up from his deathbed and walked out of the tomb. In that moment the world knew once and for all that the battle was won and would never occur again.

God won the war to bring us to heaven. Every one of us. No exceptions. This Easter, enjoy the daffodils and hyacinths. Think about the promise of a new life but think deeper. Realize that you have something far greater to celebrate: God winning a war you and I couldn’t fight. 

For God so loved you - he waged war. And won.

Happy Easter friends.