Crucified and Risen

Overview of Lesson 13: Crucified and Risen

(Following this link will allow you to view the lesson in more detail: Sabbath School Org. Lesson 13)

Karakia Timatanga             Opening Prayer

E te Atua                              Lord

He mihi tēnei ki a koe            This is a greeting to you

Mo au painga ki a mātou        For your kindness to us

I tēnei wā                             At this time

Amine                                       Amen

Saturday | Sabbath | Hātarei

Memory Text: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again (Lk 24:7).

(and Wednesday: He is Risen)

Every one of the gospels agree that Jesus prior to his death would rise again (Mt 16:21, Mk 8:31, Jn 2:22). This is the pivotal issue for all Christians, thinking or not, and it is why I am a Christian. Christianity is meaningless without it. The resurrection gives meaning to Christ’s life and death. It also gives hope and meaning to the otherwise difficult life of the Christian (Mt 7:13-14). A dead, crucified Jesus, who did not rise from the dead has no claim beyond that of his moral teachings but on closer analysis you would come to the conclusion that he taught lies and had delusional tendencies (Lewis, 1952). An unresurrected Jesus undermines any weight or credibility that we attach to those virtues/values we consider to be Christian.

For a lot of Christians their lives are wrapped up in the culture of Christianity which is not necessarily the Gospel of Christ. The music, the prayers, the rituals, the services do have a place but without a resurrected Saviour they are a bad joke (1 Co 15:14, 1 Co. 15:19). This life is short, and the promise of another can only be based on one that can concretely be observed in the life another. What I really like about the book of Luke is that it anchors Jesus in history. Believers and non-believers all have access to the same evidence, history and literatures. The difference is in the interpretation. Scholars such as N.T. Wright (1998; Craig, 2013) provide for those of us who need a basis for rational belief a credible starting point.

I apologise for not being precise with this quote but I had to include it:

“… if you think it is ridiculous to believe that life will triumph over death, then don’t bother with Christianity, because you can’t be a Christian unless you believe that.” Andrew Greeley

Sunday | Rātapu

Gethsemane: The Fearsome Struggle

On Sunday comparisons are made between the Garden of Eden and Gethsemane. I've added a few others but leave them with you to reflect on.

 

Features	Eden	Gethsemane
Centre on a tree	Knowledge of Good and evil
The context and setting	A beautiful, peaceful, stress free environment. During the day.
The place of God’s will and the centrality of obedience.	Don’t eat the fruit.
Evidence of self control and self discipline.	Not evident
Response to temptation.	Naïve and unaware.
Consequences	Unknown	Known
Choices to be made	To eat or not to eat.
Physical consequences	Death, labour, child birth
Attitudes	Desire, lust, blame and recrimination
Critical to the future of man	Impacts on all of the first pairs descendants.
The place of communing with God	Adam and Eve hide.
The place of mercy	A sacrifice is provided to cover Adam and Eve
Manifestation of supernatural	A talking snake.
The place of the sword

 

Are there any others you could add?

Monday | Rāhina 

Judas

Not many parents name their children Judas. Of the disciples, both Judas and Peter get a reasonable amount of attention in the gospels. Judas and Peter have been compared many times, both betray Jesus but it seems that Peter is forgiven and Judas is not. Judas is the one character in the gospels that is either universally abhorred or pitied by Christians. The gospel writers make absolutely certain that you know Judas as the betrayer. Many Christians, rightly or wrongly would also condemn Judas for his suicide. Luke makes a statement, that is unique in scripture: “Then Satan entered Judas …” (22:3). If you have ever succumbed to doing something wrong or evil you will identify with this statement. To a greater or lesser degree every one of us lines up behind Judas or Peter because at some stage or other our actions have dishonoured the one we worship or should worship. It seems that Judas commits the unpardonable sin. In the end he does confess (Mt. 27:4) but the quality of this confession lacks the quality of genuine repentance. The confession is more in line with the ultimate and universal confession of man which is brought about by judgment (Rom 14:11, Php 2:11). In Judas there are characteristics of repentance: recognition of wrongdoing, returning the money but his confession is misplaced. He confesses to those who have no sympathy with his cause, he confesses to a priesthood that is in the very process of being superseded. What if … Judas had chosen to deal with his guilt differently? What if … Judas had gone to a different tree? The tragedy here is that Judas after spending so much time with Jesus has failed to grasp the depth of His love. Judas finally decides to deal with his own guilt rather than let God deal with it. We know from the scriptures that Judas recognises that he has done wrong but I wonder if Judas ultimate failure is his unwillingness to admit that Jesus is right.

One of the more puzzling texts in the Bible for someone who does not believe in pre-destination is found written of Judas in Jn 17:12  While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

An interesting story is told of missionaries to Papua New Guinea who worked with a tribe called the Sawi. From the worldview of the Sawi: "In their eyes, Judas, not Jesus, was the hero of the Gospels, Jesus was just the dupe to be laughed at." (Read more at: Judas, Jesus and the Sawi)

Tuesday | Rātū 
Either for Him or Against Him

The cross and the resurrection in the life of Jesus come together as a pair. We often talk about one or the other as separate events but in terms of our salvation they are not. I agree with the statement:

For all else that it entails, the Cross is also the great divider of history: the divider between faith and unbelief, between betrayal and acceptance, and between eternal life and death. There is no middle ground for any human being concerning the Cross. In the end, we are on either one side or the other. (Fowler, 2015, p. 166)

The resurrection ought to be included in this statement because it is equally divisive and without it the cross has no meaning other than the death of a charlatan.

Yes the cross and the resurrection are divisive but they are also the basis of our reconciliation to God and to one another (2 Co. 5:18-19). The reconciliation is more than a religious matter it should impact in the world’s social issues to bridge the socio-economic, cultural, language, educational and gender divides. Be wise in this matter but in the end it is God’s prerogative to finalise the separation not ours (Mt. 25).

In our world many people don’t know the relevance of the cross including Christians. A few years ago I came across this poem. I’m not given to poetry much. In most books I skim over them but this says a lot.

The Padded Cross (The Musings of a Would-Be Disciple)

Author unknown (earliest reference I could find:QUOTED in January, 1976 from Carlyle Saylor in "Christian Deaf Fellowship" PULPIT HELPS, March, 1982)

“Well, here I am, Lord.

You said, ‘Take up your cross’, and I’m here to do it.

It’s not easy, you know, this self-denial thing.

I mean to go through with it though, yes sir.

I’ll bet you wish more people were willing to be disciples like me.

I’ve counted the cost and surrendered my life, and … well…

“You mind if I look over these crosses?

I’d kind of like a new one.

I’m not fussy, you understand, but a disciple has to be relevant these days.

I was wondering, are there any that are vinyl padded?

I really want to attract others you see, and if I could show them a more comfortable cross, I’m sure I could win a lot more.

We have to keep up with the times.

Right?

And I need something durable so that I can treasure it always and occasionally show it off to my friends.

Oh, perhaps there is one that is sort of flat so it would fit under my coat?

One shouldn't be too obvious. “Funny, there doesn’t seem to be much choice here—just that coarse, rough wood.

I mean, that could hurt!

Don’t you have something more distinctive, Lord?

I can tell you right now, none of my friends are going to be impressed by this shoddy workmanship!

They’ll think I’m a nut or something! And my family will just be mortified!

“What’s that?

It’s either one of these or forget the whole thing?

But Lord, I want to be your disciple!

I mean, just being with you…that’s what counts.

But, life has to have a balance, too…but you don’t understand…nobody lives that way today!

“Who’s going to be attracted by this self-denial bid?

I mean, I want to, but let’s not overdo it!

Start getting fanatical like this and they’ll take me to the funny farm…know what I mean?

“I mean, being a disciple is challenging and exciting and all, and I want to do it…but I do have rights don’t I?

Now, let’s see. No blood, o.k.?

I just can’t stand the thought of that, Lord…

“Lord?

Now where do you suppose He went?”

Thursday | Rāpare
All Things Must be Fulfilled

The encounter with the disciples in the 24^th chapter of Luke highlights the importance of the Scriptures in recognising Christ as the Messiah and Saviour of the world. Fowler (2015) rightly points out that today the Bible is still central to the gospel commission and our commitment as Christians.

The lesson on Thursday ends with these questions:

How much time do you spend with the Bible? How does it impact how you live, the choices you make, and how you treat others?

Many today find the Bible boring or find little time to read it. If this is you – ask God to help and guide you.

Points for Christians to consider and practise

1. Belief in the resurrection is pivotal to being a Christian.
2. Judas is not the only person who has betrayed Christ. In great and small ways we all have. Have you endeavoured to make this right through prayer?
3. What type of cross are you carrying?
4. Are you practising reconciliation in your life because of the cross?
5. Are you still encountering Jesus in the Bible?

Closing Prayer - Karakia Whakamutunga

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti me te aroha o te Atua, me te whiwhingatahitanga ki te wairua tapu, ake, ake, ake, amine.

References

Craig, W. (2013, April 1). Accounting for the empty tomb: The quest for the risen, historical Jesus. America: The National Catholic Review, 11-17. Retrieved from: http://americamagazine.org/issue/article/accounting-empty-tomb


Don Richardson. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 20, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Richardson_(missionary)

Fowler, J. (2015). The book of Luke. Adult Sabbath School Quarterly 2Q. 2015. Silver Spring: MD: Pacific Press.

Lewis, C. (1952). Mere Christianity. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

Wright, N.T. (1998, April 6) Grave matters: Take away the resurrection and the center of Christianity collapses. Christianity Today, 42(4), 51-52. Retrieved from: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1998/april6/8t4051.html

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