The Commands of Christ
When men die, most are forgotten, so why is the death of Jesus a big deal? Why do we remember When men die, most are forgotten, so why is the death of Jesus a big deal? Why do we remember and celebrate the death of Jesus differently than we do other men? The reason is that Jesus died and rose again. This is what differentiates Christianity from other faiths. God used the death and resurrection of Jesus to reconcile us back to Himself. We call the day Jesus died “Good Friday” not because Jesus died peacefully, but because of the good it brought to the world. It led to the resurrection and victory of Jesus over death and sin. The death of Jesus was horrible and brutal. It was a death of pain and public humiliation. No one could have expected anything good to come out of it except God. It is only the wisdom of God that could orchestrate a good outcome from a terrible experience. That is why 1 Corinthians 2:8, NLT says:
No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
As we mark and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, we should not forget the teachings and messages of Jesus. Jesus instructed and gave us responsibilities to carry out while awaiting His second coming. I want to highlight three of them today: Obedience to God, Loving your Neighbour, and The Proclamation of the Gospel.
Be Obedient to God
Adam disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, but Jesus Christ—the last Adam, came to earth and showed us how to obey and submit to God. Jesus erased the death we inherited from the fallen nature of Adam with life (1 Corinthians 15:45). As believers, we obey God because we love Him (John 14:15). Jesus commanded us to love God; it is the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-29). Our obedience to God is our worship to Him, and it is doing His will. When we obey God, He is glorified.
In Luke 11:27-28, Jesus was teaching, and a woman cried from the crowd, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it”. The woman was honouring Jesus and his mother with those words. It is not different from how we honour God with our words of worship today. However, Jesus pointed out a more important way to truly honour and worship Him—obedience. Jesus understood that words spoken from the mouth are not enough because our actions will indeed reveal the posture of our hearts. It is not enough to worship and praise God; we must obey Him. Only by obedience to God can we prove our words of worship to Him. Are you celebrating Easter by mere words without obeying God? Are you living your life according to God’s will?
Love Your Neighbour
In Mark 12:31, Jesus said the second greatest commandment is “Love your neighbour as yourself.” In Luke 10:25-37, a lawyer tried to test Jesus by asking. “Who is my neighbour”? Jesus replied by narrating the now famous parable of The Good Samaritan.
It is the story of a man who was attacked by robbers on his way to Jericho. He was stripped naked, beaten and left for dead. Shortly after, a priest travelling the same road saw him, went to the other side of the road and continued his journey. A Levite came up next. He went over, looked at the man, walked to the other side of the road and continued his journey. Then a Samaritan (bear in mind that the Jews disliked Samaritans because they worshipped differently), travelling the same road, saw the man that was hurt. He felt sorry for him, nursed his injuries, put him on his donkey and took him to where he could receive care. The next day, he returned and paid for his care, promising to reimburse the caretaker if there were any extra expenses.
After Jesus narrated the parable, He asked the lawyer, “among the three, who was his neighbour?” He replied, “The one who showed mercy”. Jesus said to him, “Then go and do likewise”. As we celebrate Easter, we are reminded that our neighbour is not someone who looks like us, lives next door, or someone we know. Our neighbour is anyone who needs help. To love your neighbour as yourself is to look out for the interest and well-being of others. In a world full of cruelty and selfishness, we should never cease to be of help to those who are in need.
Preach The Gospel
After the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to the disciples and gave them a command that we find in Mark 16:15-16, NKJV.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.
The disciples were followers of Christ; therefore, the same message applies to you if you are a follower of Christ today. It is called “The Great Commission”. Jesus instructed us to preach the gospel to every creature. It is not a suggestion or advice. It is a command. What is this gospel that Jesus wants us to preach? It is the gospel of our salvation resulting from his death and resurrection. The message of the gospel will not be complete if we talk only about His death without His resurrection. His resurrection means that He is alive and lives within us. Therefore we are not condemned—we now have eternal life. He empowers us to preach the gospel to everyone through the help of the Holy Spirit.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans5:8, NIV
As we celebrate Easter, let us meditate on the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus in our lives. Let us hold on to the teachings and commands of Jesus and let them permeate every area of our lives. Let us acknowledge God’s unconditional love towards us by obeying His word. Let the love of God in you be shared with those around you and your neighbour in need. Finally, let all men know the peace and joy we experience because of Jesus. Let us use every avenue to spread the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of the gospel is God’s grace, light, love, peace, joy and eternal life. Happy Easter!
