My Confession: I deny the Resurrection

Without equivocation or hesitation I fully and completely admit that I deny the resurrection of Christ. This is something that anyone who knows me could tell you, and I am not afraid to say it publicly, no matter what some people may think… I deny the resurrection of Christ every time I do not serve at the feet of the oppressed, each day that I turn my back on the poor; I deny the resurrection of Christ when I close my ears to the cries of the downtrodden and lend my support to an unjust and corrupt system.

However there are moments when I affirm that resurrection, few and far between as they are. I affirm it when I stand up for those who are forced to live on their knees, when I speak for those who have had their tongues torn out, when I cry for those who have no more tears left to shed.

Peter Rollins

The Drama of His Last Days

It is clear that all through the trail Jesus never thought of himself as a victim. "I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord (John 10:17). In this situation Jesus still saw the guiding hand of God. When Pilate sought to remind him that his life was in his hands, Jesus reminded Pilate that he could have possessed no power at all, unless it had been given to him (John 19:10). Even amidst that heartbreaking injustice it was still the conviction of Jesus that he was not the victim of men but the chosen instrument and servant of God. The happenings of the last days and hours were to Jesus, not fragments in a set of circumstances which were out of control, but events in a drama, whose course and whose culmination were in the hands of God.

William Barclay
Jesus and the Cross

The Forgiveness of Jesus

On the cross we see the invincible forgiveness of Jesus. Even as they drove the nails through him, he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34). It is as if Jesus said, “No matter what you do to me, I will still forgive.” If in Jesus we see the mind of God fully displayed, it means that there are no limits to the love, the grace, the forgiveness of God. We see Jesus on the cross embodying the message of divine forgiveness which he brought to men.

William Barclay
Jesus and the Cross

Jesus on the Campaign Trail

We have the image of Christ as a glorified presidential candidate roaming the ancient world. In our grand vision, he swoops through crowds, the center of attention, making speeches and inspiring thousands. Yet what we read about Jesus in the Gospels is very different. He choose to spent much of his time by himself and alone with his disciples.

Many people might have criticized him for not spending more time with large crowds where he could “really make a difference." And today, men and women work hard to draw attention to themselves and their political campaign, promoting themselves to friends and potential admirers as if life were an exercise in branding.

Jesus, on the other hand, shunned the crowds. He knew his mission and was not going to allow himself to get sidetracked. Even if it made for some “bad press."

If Jesus needed time alone and time with his closest companions, how much more do we need to pull away from the day-to-day chaos to recharge and refresh and refocus?

Stephen Goforth