Every year Christians celebrate three major holidays. They are important because they mark the beginning, the end, and the ultimate fulfillment of Jesus’ life purpose. Those three holidays are Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. They are significant not only because they mark the first and final chapters of Jesus’ life story, but because they reveal the deeper truth of who he was and who he is. These three holidays contain five impossible events that made his life and mission possible. And, for those of us who follow Jesus, these three holidays reveal a series of applications in what it means to be a Christian.
Let’s consider the three holidays. *CHRISTMAS. This is the most popular of the three holidays. It is celebrated by people all around the world, Christians and non-Christians, as a day for giving and getting gifts, and as a day to watch parades and football games on TV. Most people, even non-Christians, know this holiday is Jesus’ birthday, and many people display nativity scenes with Mary, Joseph, a few shepherds, and three wisemen gathered around a baby in a manger. But none of these traditions tell the whole truth about Christmas. Christmas is based on an impossible event: the incarnation: the Creator of the universe entered his creation through the process of human birth. For God to become a man required a miraculous conception, and therefore the baby is called the Son of God. Theologians call him the God-man. That baby grew up to be a perfect man, the second Adam, teaching us and showing us how we should live in order to please God.
In the words of the Apostle Paul, Jesus “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant… he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8). The lesson for us is that to be Christlike, we should “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility to consider others better than yourselves.” (2:3) *GOOD FRIDAY. If Christmas tells us how Jesus was born, Good Friday tells us how he died: he was executed on a cross. Crucifixion was a painful and shameful death reserved for the worst criminals. It was done in public in order to deter others from becoming criminals.
There were three impossible events on that Friday. First, God who is immortal died—at least in his humanity. Second, God who is holy carried our sin. Just as animals were sacrificed in the Jewish temple as sin-offerings, Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29). Though he was without sin, Jesus became sin on our behalf, so that we might become his righteousness! (2 Corinthians 5:21). The result of Jesus carrying our sin on the cross was that his heavenly Father, who is too holy to look upon sin, turned away from his Son, and Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). That was the third impossible event: for the first time in all eternity, there was a disruption within the Trinity: Father forsook Son! This was God’s way to bring forgiveness for sins. Fortunately, that disruption did not last long. The relationship of Father and Son was soon restored.
What about us? Good Friday is our holiday as well. First, because we are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ death. If we believe in him, our sins are forgiven. But second, Good Friday reminds us of Jesus’ instruction to take up our cross: “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). What does it mean to take up our cross? There are two ways we can understand this, either daily or finally. To follow Jesus begins with denying ourselves and taking our cross on a daily basis. We exchange our own life-goals and daily plans to follow his path for us. But the second way to take up our cross is in a final sense: sometimes Christians face persecution and even death for following Jesus. But he told us that by losing our life, we find it! That brings us to the third holiday.
*EASTER. The world may celebrate this holiday with colored eggs and bunny rabbits, but for Christians, Easter is about another impossible event: Jesus’ resurrection. He is alive! He defeated death! The ultimate miracle! Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled his purpose in being born on Christmas, in living an exemplary life, and in dying a sacrificial death. Easter Sunday was for Jesus— and for us—the end of Satan’s dominion and the inauguration of God’s Kingdom. For us, his resurrection is also our resurrection. Because he lives, we live! In him, we transition from hope to home: from a hope of life after death to a forever home in God’s eternal kingdom!
This year a good friend of mine died on Palm Sunday. She was a Christian believer, and we often talked about our faith. Though she was elderly, her death came as a surprise and it saddened me. But for her it was not sad. Dying was just the beginning of living. She passed from hope to home. She made it home for Easter!
Greg Giles is a published author, who, along with his wife Jean, has embraced the call to serve and teach around the globe. Their life together has included missionary work in Liberia, Bangladesh, teaching in China, and raising a family in Bemidji, Minnesota. Between global travels and local commitments, including serving as superintendent of Corn Bible Academy and their current part-time roles at Corn Heritage Village, the Gileses have found “home” in many places; yet, they now happily reside in retirement in Cordell. Please visit his website at reflections-on-wisdom.com.