Jerusalem’s stature as a holy city is unrivalled. If there is one city where the three Abrahamic religions superimpose upon one another, it is the Jerusalem. Judaism, Christianity and Islam grew larger than life here. Though all three faiths have the same roots, they have branched out differently and perhaps because of their common foundation, have found all the more necessity to assert themselves uncompromisingly against one another. Jerusalem, the city of peace as translated from Hebrew, is coveted always by zealous forces of these three faiths. It was bounced upon, torn apart and wrested by each as and when their balance of power shifted. And during this period in history the city was erected, felled and raised only to be destroyed yet again.
Jerusalem signifies Jesus’ struggle while on earth against sinful human interest and to restore love against hatred and peace against conflict. This immortal gospel of Jesus was condemned by the so called powerful. Bible reminds us of the fast changing circumstances in the last days of Jesus life leading to His death on Good Friday. Jesus suffered injustice, falsehood, betrayal, denial, humiliation and even the feeling of being abandoned by God. The judgment on Jesus by the Jews was quick, fast and decisive. Everyone has contributed his or her sin for His crucification on the cross. It is we who killed Jesus, but Bible has beautifully and most humbly converted the whole and passed on to Jesus to carry our sins to the cross so that we live to carry His divine mission.
Jesus was a reformer. He spoke against existing condition and the social practices. In particular, He was against the leaders, custodian of religion, hypocrites and ruler like Herod who turned religion into a matter of vested interest. This was not what the Jews wanted. They handed Him over to the Roman authority for execution. But the Roman rulers were tolerant of all religions. The Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate before whom Jesus was produced had attached little importance to the incident. As one of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius, said, “If the Gods are insulted, let them see to it themselves.” And as such Jesus was tried only by the Jews and was sentenced to be crucified at Golgotha-close to Jerusalem.
The trusted disciples of Jesus were nowhere to be seen. They did not want to identify with Him when He needed them the most. Like most of the Christians today, they were not fully aware of what Jesus was after. They were not fully converted to Jesus. They were lowly fishermen and had no respectability in Jewish social hierarchy. They followed Jesus just to gain wealth and worldly position. They were opportunistic. Therefore, all their dreams collapsed when Jesus was crucified. We human have failed Him again.
The parting gift of Jesus was even more awesome. This exceptional gift was Jesus Himself. He broke bread and shared wine with His disciples saying that these were His body and blood which would be shed for them and for many. Since Jesus life was not going to end on the cross He wanted His living presence to remain with His disciples and believers forever. This was not registered in the minds of His disciples who were more inclined towards material and political status.
The Holy Book is very clear and vivid. The risen Saviour appeared in flesh on the third day - Easter Sunday. This is the most intriguing faith among Christians. It is often looked at with doubt and even considered as superstitious all because of the fact that this event is unprecedented in human history. Several decades later the four disciples of Jesus – Mathew, Mark, Luke and John who wrote the gospels on resurrection revealed that though there were differences, one did not find any contradictions. The differences proved that each source is independent of the other and that there was no conspiracy between the four writers of the gospels to report any falsehood. The gospels testify to the incidents of the Empty Tomb and His many appearances before His disciples over the next forty days.
All that suddenly changed when the disciples began to witness the risen Lord amongst them. If death on the cross was the end of Jesus, how could His ordinary fishermen disciples muster such courage to ask people to follow someone who died a criminal death? And indeed, if people did not experience the spiritual power of the risen Saviour in their lives, there is no way that Jesus Who owned no wealth and political power could get billions of followers all over the world over the centuries. This is all because the Easter does assure us that life, not death, is what we were created.
Among the disciples Thomas, Mary Magdalene and Peter stand distinctly different in character. When the risen Christ appeared, Thomas doubted. Doubt is opposed to faith. He raised questions and demanded evidence. His doubt fructifies into faith. He is an intelligent believer and an evangelist who requires proof to ground his spiritual growth. Mary Magdalene is one of the most maligned of Jesus’ disciples within the Christian world. But she is the most devoted disciple of Jesus. When all the male disciples were frightened to dead and fled fearing the same fate of Jesus, Mary Magdalene alone along with Jesus’ mother Mary remained fearless at the foot of the cross. She was rewarded, for it was she who first met the risen Christ face to face. Her encounter with the risen Christ is crucial for every Christian. Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me” meaning it is time for you to stand on your own spirituality and fight against evil forces. She proclaimed, “I have seen the Lord.” Today, how many Christians can proclaim like Mary Magdalene?
Peter, denied Jesus publicly but Jesus never denied Peter. Jesus was looking beyond the grave. Jesus was on the lookout for future potential evangelist who could carry the gospel to the world. His resurrection shows that truth can be entombed temporarily but cannot be buried forever. Thomas, Mary Magdalene and Peter teaches us to move beyond the grave with faith, hope and love.
Jesus was just thirty plus in age when died on the cross. The growth of Christianity after Him was tremendous. When He was crucified He was not widely known outside Palestine. The people in Roman empire knew nothing about Him. But soon after His death, a new comer Paul, who had not seen Jesus himself spread the Christian gospel. Paul was an able and learned leader. Soon Christianity became aggressive and intolerant of others. They were prepared to die in glory for its cause. They were persecuted but Rome failed to suppress them. Indeed it was Christianity that triumphed. Later on even the Roman emperor Constantine became a Christian and Christianity became the official religion of the empire.
Christianity as practiced today is very different from the teachings of Jesus. Jesus was preaching non-violence and ahimsa. Compare His sermon on the Mount with the action of today’s loud voiced Christians who are more friendly with wealth, power and comfort. Millions of Christians revere His name today although they seldom follow His teachings. The Easter Season beginning from Easter Sunday is a forty day period to reflect upon the risen Christ’s last minute spiritual moulding of His future evangelists and believers to spring up again perhaps more mighty and glorious than ever before and to reassure them of His presence forever. That is what Jesus’ resurrection is all about.Therefore, cleansing of your sins and marching with Jesus will be the next miracle of your resurrection.
apu Jamir (I.A.S. Retd.)
