March, 1945
Easter Evangel By HERBERT LOCKYER
T HE HEART of Christianity is the Bible,—the heart of the Bible is the cross—the heart of “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Surely Paul is the greatest exponent of Calvary’s E v a n g e 1, for all his writings drip with the blood of the Redeemer. What an incomplete, partial revelation we would have if the Epis tles of Paul were removed from the New Testament! “The Lamb, the Lamb, the bleeding Lamb” was Paul’s pre-eminent theme. The cross was the center of his theology. Corinth received the declaration, “I determined not to k n o w anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” * Galatia read the Pauline utterance, “Who gave himself for our sins”— “The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”—“God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rome,, the proud mistress of Paul’s world, was reminded that “in due time Christ ’ died for the ungodly.” Thessal’onica had those who, through the apostle’s ministry, believed "that Jesus died and rose again.” Eph$i&&. to o , was reminded that there aranRthose within the city who had off from God but who were nigh by the blood of ChiistriS^SB The sSihts in Philippi were exhorted to share Paul’s ambition to .“know [Christ], and the power of his res urrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.” Colosse also was enjoined to re member that redemption was only “ through his blood.” Revelation of the Evangel Paul was not the author of the Easter Evangel. This disclosure came upon him as a distinct revelation from God. He was merely the re cipient of this great truth, as he is careful to emphasize: “I neithef re ceived it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12). “By revelation he made known unto me the mystery” (Eph. 3:3). While the gospel of redeeming grace is for the earth, it is not earthy. It ever remains a revelation. The Spirit of God must reveal the need of the
sinner, ánd the ability of God to meet that need at Calvary. There are many aspects to the glorious theme; of the cross and the - resurrection. But there are three parts . which ever must remain the sub stance of the gospel. First, “Christ died for our sins.” The fact and purpose of the cross are here proclaimed. '“Christ died.” This is an indisputable fact directly mentioned some one hundred seventy-five times in the New Testament. And being an historical fact as well as a Biblical one, it cannot be contradicted. “Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was .crucified, dead and buried.” Jesus did not die as a martyr or as a herd. The testimony of all the 'Scriptures is that Christ was mani fested to destroy the works of the devil. Upon the cross we see Jesus as the sinless Substitute dying for sin ners. Second, our Lord “was buried.” To be buried in a grave was the depth of humiliation for Christ. Think of it! He came from the highest heaven into the heart of the earth. But as He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death, He carried our sins far away. Third, He “rose again the third day.” The resurrection was God’s receipt for Calvary. The ’empty tomb: declares that the sinner’s debt has been paid, and that God is completely satisfied with the death and work of Christ upon the cross. The resurrection is also God’s seal upon our Lord’s life and labors. Furthermore, it was necessary for Christ to rise again for our justifica tion. The cross delivers the sinner from the guilt of sin, but by rising again from the dead Christ makes the cross a blessed reality in Christian expe rience. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, “We shall be saved by his life,” tha.t is, Christ’s risen, glorified, throne-life. Thus, it is wrong to wor ship a crucifix with its limp form of a dead Christ. Both 'the cross and the tomb are empty. Description of the Evangel In the ¡ntroduc ion to his resurrec tion discourse in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul refers to such a message as “the gospel” he had received to preach. A “gospel” is the glad announcement of good news. Gospel is “God’s spell,” spell being the Saxon word for “story.”
the cross is the very heart of God.
Made with FlippingBook HTML5