We are celebrating a grave today, an empty one, because this emptiness entails a doctrine: the angry God is no longer among us, long live the loving God. And this love gives life. A somewhat different approach to Easter.
“Our God is loving”. The young choristers strain their vocal chords to make themselves heard. It is always touching and enthralling to see with how much joy a horde of children trumpet out this New Apostolic hit: “Our God is loving, He loves us all”.
And then along come all these disgruntled smart alecs, who wallow in their own anger and cannot think of anything better than to rummage through the Old Testament, chapter for chapter, in order to find proof that the loving God is not so loving after all, but an angry and punishing God. I mean, hello? Could it be that somebody has missed the central point of world history?
The love of God is well-founded
What year do even the most enlightened atheists of the Western world live in? In 2018? Which date do scientists base their primeval dating on? The same zero hour? – Exactly, the love of God has a name. His love took on form. It is built on a solid foundation.
The love of God took on the form of the man whose hands and feet were nailed to the cross: Jeschua, Iesous, Jesus—or however else His name was written over the course of history. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15: 13). To say it with the words of our hymn: “We praise Him evermore: our God is loving”.
Life triumphs over death
Life is reclaiming the dead zone. Plants and wildlife are flourishing in the Exclusion Zone around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Quicker and better than experts ever expected. Life has triumphed over death. Is this really so incredible?
Is it incredible or worth believing in? Whoever uses knowledge to ascertain belief in the resurrection has missed the point. The New Testament does not dwell long on finding facts. The gospels do not provide autopsy reports or death certificates. Even the eyewitness accounts are chaotic. The crux here is interpretation. What does the death and resurrection of Jesus signify? Here as well as there? Then and now? Easter 2018 for you?
The love of God lives on
Whoever does not believe in life makes death his god. This makes death all-powerful, and nothing and no one can escape it. It makes death arbitrary. It strikes when and how it wants, it is absolutely dark, and spells the end, forever. Yes, that’s true, there is such an angry God. He exists, but outside of Jesus Christ.
In Jesus Christ, however, things become clear—and this is the message of Easter: the love of God is indestructible. Even if you were not to believe in the resurrection: Jesus lives, and He has done so for the past two thousand years. He lives in the hearts of all those billions of people who have tried, and still try, to follow the example of His love. God’s love is alive.
And whoever is brave enough to not only know, but also believe, will find more. They will not only encounter Jesus the Teacher, but also the Redeemer Jesus Christ. And then they will hear an even greater message: the love of God is indestructible. Whoever you are, whatever you do—God will never stop loving you. And if you want, you can live in this love forever …
Photo: Romolo Tavani / fotolia