Lamb Of God

In the beginning, God created us in His own image, made us with the same characteristics that He had. We were capable of being holy, loving and caring, merciful and forgiving, full of joy, able to feel peace in the midst of storms, the desire to work with and for God, able to have a loving relationship with God, the desire to accept His authority and abide by His rules, the desire to please God, a respect for all of life, and the ability to be creative. That was Eden, Paradise, Heaven-on-earth!

All that changed when we chose to sin -- to put ourselves in place of God. We broke that divine-human relationship; we cut our ties with the source-of-life; we loved ourselves more than we loved God; we valued things more than people; we were no longer able to do good or to live a holy and righteous life; we became arrogant and proud, living by our own rules; we became unable to show mercy and forgiveness; joy vanished and peace became non-existent; work became a curse; we found ourselves alone and unable to get back to Eden.

It grieved God to see the sad and sinful shape we'd gotten ourselves into. So, God lovingly devised a plan to mend our broken relationship, to bridge the vast chasm caused by sin, and to make us at one with Him again. God set in place a system of sacrifice to accomplish His purpose. God chose a lamb for the sacrifice, a symbol of innocence and purity. Each year a lamb, spotless and without blemish, was sacrificed in the Temple at Passover. The blood of the lamb flowed down over the altar as a sign that God's chosen people had been cleansed of their sins.

Jesus is called the "Lamb-of-God." Isaiah describes Him, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He never complained...." 1 Peter says, "He bore our sins in His body on the Tree ... that we might die to our sins and live to become righteous...." to restore the original Godly image in us. God sacrificed His most valued Son; Jesus was the perfect sacrifice -- spotless and pure, holy and without blemish or sin. Jesus willingly and lovingly sacrificed His own life, so that we might have the good life now and that heavenly life forever back in Eden.

It would be sad indeed if that were the end of the story; it's not! God had other plans -- God raised the lamb up from the tomb, elevated Him to the throne of Heaven as Ruler over all. The Lamb-of-God crucified has now become the Lamb-Triumphant, the Lamb-Victorious! And He will return to crush the forces of darkness and death forever.

Tale of Two Crowns

Easter is about the tale of two crowns. Both belonged to Jesus. Both were an important part of His life. Both are real to us this Easter. The first was the "Crown of Thorns"; the second was the "Crown of Glory."

The Crown of Thorns -- Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, denied and betrayed, badly beaten, and mocked. The Roman Guards had scourged Jesus; now they mocked Him, "They say you're a king; some king you are....ha, ha, ha!" Then they placed a rough robe around His wounded shoulders; and plaited a crown made from a thorn-bush and pushed the thorns down into his head. The Guards bowed before Jesus and laughed at Him. The Roman Government ruled with ruthless authority and power; they punished, imprisoned, and crucified anyone they considered a threat to that authority.

Like Jesus, His followers have also worn the Crown of Thorns. The Roman Government crucified Jesus, thinking they had forever eliminated a threat to their rule. The Romans treated Jesus' followers the same way: arrested them, punished, them. beat them, crucified them. Yet, the church would not die; the Church, instead, flourished and grew.

In more recent time, other Governments have tried the same approach as Rome. During WWII, the Japanese occupied Korea; they did everything in their power to eliminate Christianity; and for 100 years there were no Christians to be found in all of Korea. Five years after the Japanese left Korea, there were thousands of Christians and hundreds of church buildings across Korea. Even as we speak, China is bull-dozing down every church building and arresting and killing every Christian they can find. I say, "Lots of luck, China."

Easter would be a sad and hopeless season if the Crown of Thorns were all that there is -- IT'S NOT!

The Crown of Glory -- The all-powerful God raised Jesus from the tomb and raised Him up to take His rightful place on Heaven's throne. God placed a Crown of Glory on His head, clothed Jesus in royal-purple robes, gave Him the Scepter of Authority and Power, and named His King of all kings -- ruler over all of heaven and earth!

This is the Easter promise and our eternal hope, "That if we remain faithful to Christ, the King, we will also be raised from the grave, be welcomed into the Heavenly Kingdom, and we will receive the highest honor ... the crown of life.

A tale of two Crowns. Jesus experienced both the Crown of Thorns and the Crown of Glory. If we keep the faith, so shall we. As the Apostle Paul said, "I consider that wearing the crown of life is well worth the painful experience of bearing the Crown of Thorns."

Praise be to God for Easter and for the Crown of Life that lies ahead!

Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist minister who lives in Jackson. Opinions expressed are those of the author.