He is risen indeed

Return to the land of the living
Charter Oak-Ute NEWSpaper - Schleswig Leader, Thursday, April 5, 2007 - Page 3

As if his torture wasn’t excruciating enough, which by the way consisted of the most advanced and brutal means available to the military at the time- as if the torture wasn’t bad enough, all of it was essentially because there were people who didn’t want to lose power- not because he had violated any laws.

He was an easy mark for both sides. The people who wanted to establish a theocracy used him as a scape goat with the occupying super power to draw attention away from their own corruption and behind the scenes power-brokering. The soldiers were all too happy to oblige, They were tired and frustrated being stationed so far from their families, and hated and resented by the people who they believed they were helping by bringing civilization and order.

The political envoy acted the way you can expect politicians to behave. He didn’t want to give the religious leaders the blood they craved, but he certainly wasn’t about to stick his neck out for, for what? A member of the lunatic fringe? A leader of yet another splinter sect? A thinker? An activist, pundit, spiritual healer, guru? He tried to evade taking responsibility for whatever torture or execution that the man would be subjected to- but truthfully, this was a win-win for a politico. His soldiers could release some aggression, maybe even improve their morale a little. The men with the religious clout would be placated because they’d feel as if their “imperial oppressors” were giving them some modicum of authority. And who knows, hopefully he could even win over some minds and hearts of the people by making it look like he was responsive to their leaders for once.

As if the torture, incarceration under false pretenses, the kangaroo court held in secret in the middle of the night, with no representation, as if all this wasn’t enough- and oh yeah, the slow, cruel death, as if that wasn’t enough, then there was carrying all of the weight of all of the sins and hatred and selfishness and ugliness and pain of all of the people of all of the world through all of the ages, all at once.

But when it was over, it was over and done. He was the one and only sacrificial lamb, the last one and the ultimate one for all time. He tore the curtain that separated the profane from the divine. The war was over and the reconciliation could begin. The Father and ALL of His children could finally have a healed relationship thanks to His only “begotten” Son.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
His long time rival and sworn enemy was caught surprised in the midst of his gloating and premature celebrating. He broke through the gates of his compound and marched in to declare victory.

The very Earth trembled. Soldiers who had days before made sure His fate was secure were now slack jawed with awe and amazement.

Early Sunday morning, women took the things they needed to ceremonially prepare the body to the vault where they expected it to be. It was open. They were confused when He wasn’t there and were taken aback by two people in clothes that glowed like an electrical charge. The women fell on the ground in fear.

These messengers asked them simply,
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you, that He must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ “

Finally, the light bulbs went on in their heads and it dawned on them that He had told them exactly how things were going to happen.
Now, He was the first born to new life. Like the first Robin of Spring, or the first daffodil to break through the snow. Because He died for us, defeated death and rose again, He will raise us all who believe in Him and one day where blood stained the ground, instead a carpet of flowers will bloom and beckon in the whole new creation.

Ted Mallory lives in Charter Oak and teaches at Boyer Valley Schools in Dunlap. ‘Ted’s Column’ has appeared weekly in the Charter Oak-Ute NEWSpaper since 2002. If you’d like to see any of Ted’s editorial cartoons bigger and brighter, you can visit http://tmal.multiply.com/photos/album/2