By Dickson Igwe
Easter like Christmas comes but once a year. And Easter is really an extension of the Christmas religious celebration in that it is the continuation of a mission by one unimaginably powerful man who came into this world to rescue a dying humanity from the sting of eternal death, eternal darkness; and an eternity of separation from the all powerful creator of this universe.
Like Christmas, the true meaning of Easter has been obscured by religious tradition and practice; Church and denominational doctrine that all too easily obscures the true Easter message in myriad layers of manmade liturgy and custom. Add to all this, the commercial preoccupation with ensuring that there are enough Easter eggs and Easter bunnies in production for the world’s kiddies. Easter is also a convenient time to end the School Term, with students looking forward to the Easter vacation, a break from the critical disciplines of school.
But there is much more to Easter. Easter for the believing Christian spells the termination point of a mission by one named Jesus of Nazareth, the Greatest Man that has ever lived, who put a stop to the idea of eternal oblivion in a cold grave as the fate of all mankind. Easter and what it stands for in the Christian calendar spells the defeat of good over evil. Easter as represented by the death, burial and resurrection of the Man Jesus Christ has given evil in all of its forms an expiration date. And this idea of the defeat of evil may sound farfetched: but it is true.
Two thousand years ago, the greatest mystery of the ages took place. The Creator of time and space stepped into the physical universe. A universe into which the idea of evil had been introduced and in which a planet called Earth was horribly affected. The scourge called Evil started a diabolical orbit of a spherical world, a globe filled with life created by an Infinite Genius. That scourge called Evil propelled that infinitely small ball called Planet Earth: a microscopic planet existing in a vast and incomprehensible universe, on a new and lethal trajectory that would ultimately lead to cataclysmic finality.
That force of evil headed by one created being named Lucifer may have believed that the diabolical scheme of evil domination and the ultimate destruction of a very mortal mankind on a very delicate planet was the final nail in the coffin humanity: Satan victorious over the physical world God created.
However, an all wise God had another plan. Over two thousand years ago the promise of all the ages took place: the greatest event in history. God the creator entered into his own creation in the form of a man named Jesus. He was the greatest, most powerful and most unique man who had ever lived. A King, born in a manger, to a virgin bride: and a man without defect who would live out his life free of sin and defect.
Everything about the man Jesus was miraculous. He came to show mankind the nature of true divinity: the character of God. And this was a God of mercy, compassion and love first and foremost: this love manifested in the greatest event in history. God Himself suffered a cruel death on a wooden Roman Cross. God murdered by the religious authorities of the time. God betrayed by one of his closest. God tortured and then executed by a Roman military apparatus.
However, a war was raging. And in the invisible, intangible, demonic and fierce cosmos, a dimension no man has ever visited, the battle of all the ages was being fought: a cataclysmic event of unimaginable ferocity. And as Jesus Christ gave up the ghost at Calvary, it must have seemed the lowest moment for his loved ones and friends.
But in what was the greatest counter insurgency operation of all time, in that self same invisible dimension, the greatest twist in history occurred: God turned science upside down; 66 trillion dead cells came back to life, God in Christ, after sacrificing Himself on the Cross, rose from the dead, smashed through the seemingly insurmountable barrier known as death and violently snatched the keys of the grave and death from the diabolical Lucifer. A mystery incomprehensible to man’s limited thinking ability, but an event nonetheless which saved sinful man from eternal damnation brought on by sin.
Three of the greatest miracles of all time took place within a time span of 33 years in a universe that is billions of years old: God stepped into time and space; God dwelled among his fallen creation but remained spotless in every way; Then God died on a wooden cross; but after three days he rose from that death and purchased for all time eternal life for those who believe in Him.
Yes, when we look past all of the religious activity and commercialization, there is the acknowledgement of the greatest event in history. The central theme of Christianity: for without Easter there is no Christianity. And all God asks is that men believe in Him and confess this miracle and that gift of eternal life is given free of charge.
The greatest gift of all time is yours and mine for the asking. That is the true meaning of Easter: the idea that death is not the end, that the grave does not have the last say, that there is life after death, and that eternal life is the most glorious life of all.
Yes, Easter is the time we recognize this central event in the Christian Calendar, and give thanks God Almighty for giving a sinful and dying humanity a second chance. Thanks be to God Who has given man the victory through Jesus Christ.
Dickson Igwe is an Evangelical Minister, who writes for sister site – www.bvinews.com
This is an excellent essay on the significance of the holiday we call Easter. Every year at this time there are those who tell us Christ was not crucified on Friday or that we have the date wrong. Thank God Christianity does not depend on us observing dates. When the believers in Galatia were in danger of slipping in legalism the Apostle Paul wrote to them, “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” (Galatians 4:10-11) For a carnal religion wrapped in tradition and preoccupied with externals calendar dates are important. But to Christians who have left the shadows behind and are living in the light of the new dispensation it is the substance that counts! We rejoice in what Christ has accomplished. It is the event we celebrate. Dickson Igwe has reminded us of who Jesus is. It is impossible to appreciate His death if we don’t grasp the significance of His birth. “The great Creator became our Saviuour, and all God’s fullness dwelt in Him.” Some admit He was a good man, a wonderful teacher, and even a great prophet. But they refuse to confess that He was God the Son – very God manifested in the flesh. Yet Christ claimed to be God. He said He had come from the Father. If He was not who He claimed to be He was either a liar or a mentally ill man. His blameless life and the high quality of His teachings prove He was neither of these! Pastor Igwe sets forth the glorious truth of redemption. Christ has “purchased for all time eternal life for those who believe in Him.” In many places at this time of the year the death and resurrection of Jesus christ is “celebrated” with great pomp and ceremony, but the very essense of the gospel is missing! Christ didn’t just died. He took our place, and died as our substitute, paying the sin debt, so we can go free if we will only believe in Him, and receive Him! “…God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:11-12) Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Pentecostal Evangelist.
Gary,
It takes a lot of courage to say it like it is. I applaud you for letting out the truth that needs to be told. We are so bound by religion that the truth seems to be a lie to our people. Nowadys the truth has beconmae a lie and the lie has become the truth. The whole world has been deceived and some people just keep going around in circles not being able to find their way out.
Easter Tuesday,
Haile Selassie was of the lineage of King Solomon. Judah or Yehudah (Hebrew) was one of the twelve tribes of Israel( Palestine). Yehudah, the praise tribe (mainly made up of the slaves who came to America). There is no other people who can sing and praise like our African brothers and sisters.
The reason why we do not quite understand the truth is because the bible was translated from Hebrew to Greek, Latin and English. A lot of the true meaning has been lost and therefore what we know now is not what was then.
Knowing the truth does not make me a Rasta. I do not belong to any religious group. There is what is called a way of life that God intended for his people to live by.
Amen!!!!
The Romans had a written Law “Who want to be deceived let them be deceived” and that is exactly what’s happening at this present time. People do not like seeking the truth., and so they are deceived What is happening now is census reality. and here is another dose of it from Evangelical Minister Dickson Igwe rhetoric, quote “God himself suffered a cruel death on a wooden Roman Cross” gibberish, and giving his version of Easter meaning. and what it means.
Is it not time people start to ask questions as to where Easter celebration originated? Who started it, and why? There is a saying, never follow the person who say they found the truth, but follow the person seeking the truth. We must understand these celebrations originated some where, and kept occult, I mean hidden, religion is not there to teach us the truth, it never has and never will be, there lies the problem of mankind, real lies going on. I do not believe that God (the Creative Intelligence) would create Man in bondage and live him bonded, that would be a dishonor to God and to suppose God would make Man an individual and not letting Him discover himself would be an impossibility. We come into this world going from the Cradle to the Grave knowing “NOTHING” about ourselves, our true essence, as human beings, Who we are, Where we came from., What is Life and What is our purpose here on Earth. Instead we live it up to Religion to inform us, no wonder the world is in a mess, we have never been told the true nature of ourselves. and that is where the power lies. That is why in all ancient teachings the first command at the beginning was “Know Thy Self”. If we do not know ourselves, how can we know the great Power, that Creative intelligence?
People must understand that the Bible with it stories depicting Jesus was not a new story,
that started with the Christian Religion, it is a recycled story told by fourteen different
Cultures some of them thousands of years before Christianity, going as far back to Egypt
where the Egyptians had Horus,no wonder it was said to be the greatest story ever
told, interestingly there is quote attributed to Pope Leo Pope Leo X ( 1513-1521) “How well we know what a profitable superstition this fable of Christ has been for us “
The first English version of the bible was done around 1380 by John Wycliffe , an Oxford professor, scholar translated from Latin, The Pope at the time was so infuriated that he had Wycliffe body dug up years after his death, the body was crushed and scatted into the river. Then there was William Tyndale he made a translation of the bible to English and he to meet his fate, he was sent to prison, where he was strangled and his body burned. Their crimes, trying to get the masses to read the Bible in a language they understood rather than having the Priest read it to them.. Then in 1611 came the King James Version which was authorized by him, King James That is the transformation that took place to have the Bible written in English, very sad indeed. Let us remember the divine force, Creative intelligence does not belong to any one religion, it belongs to all of us, its only request is recognition, not dogma, or Celebrations with occult meaning only known to a few at the top. The Universe we see is much more than what we are told it is, we have been sold lies, and still being lied to this day, by people who proclaim to be the stewards of truth., instead they keep us in ignorance and bondage which is not God ordained. Let us remember A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.
This is so mythical. Before our forefathers were brought into slavery they were not Christians. Christianity began in Rome and spread through Greece and Europe. Our forefathers were first Hebrews as the Old Testament declares. They were always a God fearing people who worshipped the True and Living God, the God of Israel. Christianity was forced upon our people when they became slaves, causing their African heritage and culture to be lost. Their names were changed to slave masters’ names and their God was changed. There was never a person called Jesus Christ in history. Ask the Romans and Greeks. They made up this being just as they continue to be mythical. That’s why they believe in Christmas, Easter, New Years, and all these other Pagan holidays.
They tell us that the laws are fulfilled and gave us a New Testament. Why would God’s laws be fulfilled by the teachings of Christianity? So that we as the original race would lose the knowledge of a Holy God and not live as God intended us to live. Instead we have acknowledge thes pagan teachings and think that one day we will go to heaven. The Bible said that the earth is for man to dwell.
Do you think that those who enslaved us can free us through their religions and teachings? We have strayed very far from the God of Israel and it is very hard to get back. Just look at the way we conduct ourselves. Eating anything, dressing any way, listening to any form of music, treating each other with disrespect and polluting the earth.
Please go to kingdomofyah.com to find out who Israel really is. We have to come to the knowledge of the truth in order to understand what has been done to us as a race of people.
@Out of the South city: I bet you believe in Haile Selassie I and the conquering lion of Judah. And pray tell where exactly was Judah located?
You just exchanged one set of beliefs for another. Rastafari or Christian, people need to believe in something, otherwise, what is our purpose in life? Why exactly are we here?