Does Jesus' Suffering, Death and Resurrection Serve Different Purposes?

Let's take a look at the passover and Jesus' sacrifice. In many ways we compare the sacrifice of Christ to the passover. But in actual fact it differs in many ways. Asides from the once-and-for-all-sacrifice that replaces the annual ritual there are a lot of other differences.

First, the lambs so not suffer before they're slaughtered. In fact I want to believe they 'enjoy' preferential treatment. They are set apart and fed specially in preparation for the sacrifice. But for Jesus, he was insulted, beaten bartered and scourged.The scripture explains to us that His stipes is for our healing. Is 53:5

Another notable difference is that the lambs do not come back to life. That implies that there yet one more important truth about Jesus' sacrifice we're yet to apprehend.

For too long we have lumped the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus together as if it served the same purpose. When we juxtapose it with the passover ritual we see that His death alone is sufficient to bring us forgiveness. This means His suffering bring us more. And also, I suppose His resurrection bring us even much more.

Here is my question: if His stipes bring us healing, and His death bring us forgiveness, what does His resurrection mean for us? Rephrasing, if His suffering makes us overcome infirmity and His death make us survive judgement, what does His resurrection hold for us?

Please make your comments and give your answers. Meanwhile, here are some responses I got.

Abisola Olasehinde: Victory over death

Tosin Akintayo: In as much as nothing can be compared to the GRREATEST SACRIFICE, the passover remains a symbol/pointer to it. And that's why the scriptures call such a shadow of what's to come. A shadow is a 2D image lacking in details, while the real thing is often in 3D or HD, very detailed. His resurrection for me is the victory over every form of limitations, death and hell being the prime.

Onakudikoghene:
(1). Matt 28:7. Go quickly and tell his disciples. He is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. When you check Matt 28:16, His ressurection clears all doubts.
(2) His ressurection gives us authority in heaven and on earth because we are co-heirs with Christ Matt 28:18
(3)Mark 16:9-10 His ressurection brings us good news to wipe out mourning and weeping
(4) No death but we are like angels
(5) LuKe  24:46-47 His ressurection makes you and I preach in His name.

Awonusi Folasiji
His resurrection is to cause us also to resurrect. He didn't resurrect alone (see Matthew's account). His rising was a first fruit rising to tell us that the last enemy's head has been brutally bruised and a people would emerge that would really rise again or simply refuse to die.

Lord, Send Fire On The Altar

Lord, here's my sacrifice upon the altar
One year old lamb without blemish
Slaughtered as prescribed divided in two
Awaiting your fire from up above

Here is my mind filled with facts and figures
Piles of notes, theology and apologetics
Book after book, sermon after sermon
Send fire, give revelation and enlightenment

Generosity with an array of good deeds
Panting hard wearing morality chasing purity
Bear me on eagles wings above life's flood
Set me aflame, let love be my driving force

Here's my field filled with seeds
I planted in faith, trusting in the promise
I've waited in anticipation until this hour
Lord open the heavens and send the showers

When the altar is set with piles of rock
Built with sweat though not in accurate detail
I give myself as a living sacrifice
Lord send your fire and sanctify this offering

Called to lead with the majority in agreement
The votes in my favour with a margin so wide
Knowing without doubt the flesh cannot fulfil purpose
Send fire, anoint with oil and abound with wisdom

Good intentions have inspired great actions
Persuasive words but unable to penetrate depravity
Accurate facts but unable to convert the soul
Send your Spirit, the convicter, convincer and converter

The Christan Life is an Impossible Life

I love catchy titles. But as much as I do, I make sure there's a hundred percent truth in it. Why impossible? Why are there Christians afterall? Or is this guy toying with our minds? These and many more questions are on the minds of most readers.

What do I mean by impossible? First, impossible is something exclusive to God. It is quite different from difficult which is an exclusive of men who are heroes, diligent, dutiful, discipline and persistent. Impossible means "if God doesn't, it can't." Impossible means can only be done by God. I love the way Pastor Kelly Varner puts it "Only Christ can live like Christ."

This implies that, only those whom God has given of his spirit can be Christians. Note that I didn't say "filled with His spirit." That's another story entirely. It is the Holy Spirit that works in us to will and to do God's pleasures. We cannot resolve to be Christians, only if we have been made one can resolution mean a thing.

Matt 13 describes the children of the kingdom as seeds. We can't create seeds. We can only obtain them from the mother plant. And the Son of Man himself is the one who plants. Scripture further says in John 17 that "none of the ones you have given is lost." We have Christians only when God gives any man of His spirit. We have Christians only when God gives a man of His life. We have Christians only when God plants.

The kingdom of God is not in words but in power. This does not necessarily mean that miracles happen. It simply means there is a supernatural occurrence. By miracle, I mean sick being healed, dead rise and lame walk. Salvation by itself is a great miracle. It may and may not be accompanied by by-miracles. When God himself overshadows a man and he or she gets 'pregnant' without human input. Such a baby is none other than The Holy One himself. That's enough miracle. Humans could be messengers, like the angel was to Mary, but only the son of man plants.

When a man turns away, it is probable that God didn't do the planting. It might have been a kingdom recieved by mere words and not spirit-inspired power-conveying gospel. It might also be tares sown while we were asleep and grew with the wheat. They bear much resemblance and are hardly distinguishable at a tender age.

The Christian life is impossible. Its a perpetual struggle for those who are trying to be. It may not be so convenient but it is a life lived out by the Christ you have recieved. It is the maturing of the nature of God you conceived.

Righteousness is the nature of God. Except you are God, born of God or possessed by His spirit you can't live righteously. The chicken can only act as an eagle when there no need to soar. They are distinguished when the storm arrives. They are also distinguishable by their diet.

Peace is the domain of God. This is where God stands as He beholds all things. Except you stand on the same spot, look in the same direction and have the same mind, anxiety will arise. Peace is how God sees. He knows the end from the beginning and He conforms all forces to do his bidding. Anxiety is not a reality with God neither is it a reality with him who bears his spirit.

Joy is the aura around God. It is the scent of His garment that makes joy bubble forth within us. It is in His presence that it is most concentrated. We will have joy if we walk with Him, follow Him or abide with Him. When we are far away and peradventure He passes by us, we experience haphazard joy.

Unless God is directly involved, Christianity is an impossibility.

Christianity is a Superior Life.

Righteousness is a superior standard of living. It is superior to morality, legalism and liberalism. Righteousness encapsulate all good and perfect behaviour as well as pure intentions. It is the best of generosity with love as its motif. Righteousness is more than a set of actions. It is a supernatural life finding expression.

Peace is a superior form of understanding. It is superior to facts and figures that correlate. It is superior to suitable headlines and secure fortresses. It lives beyond economic analysis and security detail. Peace rests in the storm and rises at the nick of time. Its domain of rest does not span into laziness. Its boundaries of waiting does not encompass sloth. Peace stays awake when need be but never because of fear. Peace is more than a situation assessment. It is seeing from God's perspective.

Joy is a superior energy. It is superior to exciting but ephemeral circumstances. It is beyond the reach of disaster and losses. It is superior to physical and mental strength.

The kingdom of God is a lifestyle-Righteousness.
The kingdom of God is an understanding-Peace.
The kingdom of God is an attitude-Joy.

Outsourcing Your Faith: More Evil Than Good

Technology has evolved so much that you can get devotionals, bible verses, prayer points and even prophesies over the internet, by sms subscription and pre-programmed voice calls. How many more people will you allow to get rich because of our laziness or negligence? I got a text like this "Send Bible to 24342 to get daily bible verse. This costs 100 Naira in a month." That is the height of laziness. If you need a bible verse, open and read.

It is not the about the daily Bible verse that changes us, it is out attitude. It is the constant, consistent, conscious and continuous effort to dedicate time to read the bible that changes us. Our minds are not renewed in an instant, they are renewed by process of devotion, dedication and diligence. I remember Bob Gass, in one of his books saying "even if reading the bible doesn't make sense, read it anyway." It is our habit of studying the scriptures that provides a platform for our lives to change. So if we outsource that, we have lost the important part.

The Kings who ruled Israel were required to have a personally hand-written copy of the law (Deut 17:18). This again points to the process rather than the result. There was a copy of the law in the temple. Past kings had copies of the law that they could have got access too. There were scribes and lawyers who have snippets of the law they they could easily have gotten. Still, God insisted they go through the process and obtain their copy of the law themselves.

Or perhaps some people think there are too many verses in the scriptures and it becomes too tedious to know where exactly to read. Some people trust that a computer program can randomly select a scripture verse that accurately addresses your situation better than a consistent habit of study. I am not knocking off the idea of computer programs randomly selecting scripture verses or subscribing for bible verses. My point is that it shouldn't be our major source of outside-Sunday nourishment. God honors our diligence, that is what changes us.

The same goes for prayers. We shouldn't outsource our prayer life. That is our lifeline. Do not be overly impressed by those with sweet words in the place of prayer. Do not be intimidated either. Just like study, setting time apart and thinking over the goodness, grace and promises of God is prayer enough. Remember, it is the process that changes us. Prayer is beyond results. God desires the process not the action.

Honestly, some have grace to intercede. Here is a simple scenario.

"Prayer is our respiratory system as Christians. When we stop to pray, we start to faint." Debo Adesina.

I will say that Intercession (a type of prayer where others pray on your behalf) is inducing respiration by oxygen cylinders and special medical apparatuses. It is expensive, self sacrificing and not designed for continuous application. It is meant for resuscitation in helpless situations. The normal pattern for breathing is our ceaseless-prayer. (1 Thes 5:17)

Our christian faith isn't like the business world. In business who does what doesn't matter. What matters is that IT SHOULD BE DONE. Conversely, in our walk of faith, it is the one who does it that benefits. It is the one who endures the process that is transformed. i conclude with this:

"Heb 12:11 (MSG) At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God."

Philanthropy is not an Alternative to Obedience

"I do not envy men who have billions to give to charity. I envy people who have devoted precious years of their life serving the needs of others."

Sometimes I look at my motivation to give and I realize it is because I cannot afford my time and presence. Sometimes I give because of somethings I did in the past. I couldn't forgive myself and I needed a way to buy a clear conscience. I am one amongst 6 billion people. I wonder how many more people have the same paradigm.

Our politics is dominated by people who have looted the treasury and are seeking a way to buy a clear conscience. In the guise of doing that they have the effrontery to gain more follower-ship and credibility. They set aside mouth watering amounts of money to charity and makes sure the news and every available media gets the headlines.

"Charity cannot buy a clear conscience."

Do not be envious of such people. In the beginning, all they though about was how to get the money. They did anything and everything they could think of to get what they want. They stepped on toes, trampled upon peoples ego, took their highly priced possession, desecrated their highly revered inheritances to increase their own treasury. Now that they have got what they want they realize that great wealth do not guarantee pease and fulfilment. Unfortunately they do not sum up the courage to tell the younger generation that their pursuit for peace on the path of prosperity ws futile. Even if they did, our sense of judgement is already clouded by the things we want to acquire.

They have reached the highest hights in their business and career and yet their souls still feel void. They resort to charity to buy back a clear conscience, perhaps good works can fill the void. Unfortunately, many of the versions of religion that we have states good works as a way to guarantee eternity. This is absolutely not true. God judges the motives and intentions of our hearts not how much others appreciate and commend them our actions.

"God requires obedience, not fats of cattle"

When we hear this scripture quoted, we immediately think of Saul's disobedience just to offer a choicy offering. In our world, it translate to huge tithes, pledges, offerings and seeds we give while we ignore God's basic instructions. The Pastor may be dumbfounded, but God isn't.

Obedience is the path which God has laid down. if ever you feel that your tithes and offering will be a replacement for your time and devotion, you have taken the same route that leads no where. It is an emotional strategy with no eternal impact. it is a superficial theurapy that does not address the crux of the issue. "Those who love me will obey my commadments." "My sheep know me and they obey my voice."

I can hear someone say that whether the intentions are right or wrong, the funds are useful to advance the gospel or provide relief for those who need it. This is the diary of a fanatic and i will not mince words. The church has too much money. We have too much money than our character and integrity can manage. This is because a lot of unncessesary money is in circulation. I realize that that most of the excuses that people give for avoiding fellowship or hardenind their hearts to truth have to do with misappropriation of funds. Rather than seek to assist the work of God with your finances, obey  His words. God doesn't need help. He has made adequate provision for His work, do not add to the "inflation."

"God requires obedience, not fats of cattle" (1 Sam 15:22)

Seek the Unusual

There is a joy beyond the joy of the harvest time
Clearer sights than the pile of sheaves
Joy that spans planting and reaping seasons
Joy so secure that losses cannot drain
Joy so heavy that profits cannot tilt
The joy of the Lord

There is a peace beyond the absence of war
One that is calm despite a raging storm
And unmoved at the lion's claws and thundering roar
One beyond understanding and reasoning
Peace that rests in the Lord's promise
The peace of the Lord

There is a love beyond the desire for pleasure
A love that seeks to give than receive
A love whose motive is purity and sacrifice
A love willing to take all the shame and pain
A love willing to give all the gain without restrain
The love of Christ

There is a righteousness beyond good works
An restrain stronger than keeping a good name
A standard that the famous Morality envies
A standard consistent in secret and in public
A righteousness that opens Heaven's gates
The righteousness Jesus gives