I gave the message at the sunrise service this morning along with Cecilia, Sabrina, and Tad. Because of our youth group's recent activity with Loose Change to Loosen Chains our topic was Freedom in Christ.
Good morning! My name is Carole-Marie Wiser and today, this Easter Sunday, you are rejoicing for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is risen. He is risen! (and the people shall say: "He is risen indeed!") Today though, I am rejoicing for a different reason. I am rejoicing because Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior...died.
Several years ago, back when we were still having services in the old sanctuary, I attended my first Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) and my first Good Friday (also known as "Holy Friday," "Friday of Preparation," "Great Friday," and the "Friday of Mourning") service. It was during these services that I had my first real experience with the death of Christ. It confused me. Imagine the thoughts going through a six or seven year old mind. Why would God not only allow His only son to die on a cross, but also tell Him to do so. (Luke 22:41-44 Mark 14:35-36 Matthew 26:36-46) Also, why would the people who love Him so much, betray Him. (This reference does not only include the betrayal of Jesus by Judas (John 18:1-10 Luke 22:47-48 Mark 14:43-45 Matthew 26:48-50) but also the denial of being one of the chose twelve as done by Simon Peter the son of John and brother of Andrew. (Matthew 26:69-75 Mark 14:66-72 Luke 22:54-65 John 18:15-18,25-27)) Lastly, why when Jesus could call thousands of angels to his aid (Matthew 26:53) did he choose not to do so.
Not only did these services confuse me, but they scared me as well. I had never seen the sanctuary empty, always there was the comfort of the familiar, but on Maundy Thursday all of the ornamentals were stripped from the sanctuary. The altar had the candles removed along with all of the cloth. They took the Bible out. Everything that reminded me of Jesus. (Some view the stripping of the sanctuary as a symbolic stripping of the power of Christ. Personally, I do not agree with this because Jesus is part of a trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and I would like to see you try to strip God of His power.) All that was left in the sanctuary after it had been stripped was the wooden cross that hangs above the altar. A cross like the one that Jesus died upon. Both nights we exited in silence, yet all I could think about was that we were leaving Jesus there, no one was doing anything to help Him. He is hanging right there on that cross, He is in this very room, and you all are walking out. Why won't somebody get Him down?
As I was writing this, I went back into the old sanctuary, so that I could relive the memory of my first experience with the death of Christ. Once again, I asked God "why?" Everything was clearer. The answer stared back at me from the architecture . Behind the cross is the stained glass window, but protecting the glass are several strips of wood, nailed up so that they form hundreds of smaller crosses of different sizes. Those smaller crosses are the reason that we can leave in silence, leaving Jesus alone to die. Those smaller crosses are the reason that Jesus did not call to Him the angels of heaven. Those smaller crosses are the reasons that Jesus was betrayed. Those smaller crosses are the reasons that we were slaves. Those smaller crosses...represent our sins and our sins are the chains that bind us. Jesus offered His life so that we could be without those heavy chains, He offers to take them up and carry them.
Today, we are rejoicing because Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, died to give us freedom.
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