BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO
“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave” (Isaiah 53:7-9 NLT).
As we celebrate Easter, it is appropriate to reflect on the lessons from the Passion of Christ, including His arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Indeed, the word “Easter” is not in the Bible, any more than the word “Christmas” is. The only reference to Easter in the Bible, in the King James Bible, is a translation error of the word “Passover” (Acts 12:4). Nowhere in the Bible are believers commanded to celebrate or not to celebrate Easter. We are only commanded to observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Nevertheless, it is not a sin to celebrate Easter.
There is no agreement on the origin of the word “Easter.” For instance, some scholars have described the claim that Easter has a pagan origin—as a holiday for the worship of the Anglo-Saxon spring and fertility goddess, Eostre—as unsupported by evidence. The Venerable Bede, an 8th-century Northumbrian monk and scholar, is the only primary source that mentions this goddess in his writings dated to around 725–730 AD.
Against the backdrop of the unconfirmed account that Easter was adopted from a pagan festival, it would be incorrect to say, as some say, that the Easter celebration is idolatry. Even if the Easter celebration was adopted from a pagan festival, Christians do not worship any idol or god today as we celebrate Easter; we worship the living God.
What matters most is whom we worship and how we celebrate significant biblical events; it is not the origin of the name or the celebration. After all, though Sunday is named after the sun, Christians don’t worship the sun on Sunday. The Lord made every day, and we should be glad and rejoice in it (Psalm 118:24). Idols did not make any day!
The lessons I have considered in this message are neither exhaustive nor in any particular order. Nevertheless, they apply to daily living.
The 16 Lessons
1. God demands that you have unconditional love for others. The Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus came to the earth, abandoned His glory in heaven and died on the cross for humanity after being subjected to an unfair trial. He was denied justice, yet he didn’t resist. “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave” (Isaiah 53:7-9 NLT). Acts 8:32-33 also refers to this.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13 NKJV). God commands you to love – give of yourself to others, and not live a selfish life. Jesus said we should love our neighbour as ourselves (Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31).
Jesus went a step further to ask us to love not just our friends, but also our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36). Beyond the Old Testament requirement to love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, 34), which Jesus also restated in the New Testament (Matthew 19:19, 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27), He further raised the bar of love when He taught His disciples a new commandment on love: Christlike love. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34 NKJV). He also said in John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (NKJV).
If you walk in love, you will have fulfilled all the commandments. “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law” (Romans 13:10 NLT). Love is our identity card as Christians. Being a Christian but not walking in love is contradictory. God demands that you love others unconditionally. He wants love that is genuine and self-sacrificial, not superficial or merely emotional.
2. Live a life of humility. Jesus rode on a colt to Jerusalem, which was a symbol of humility (Luke 19:35-36). This was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah in Zechariah 9:9. He was given a royal reception, yet he was humble.
No matter how high you rise in life, be humble. Never remove the garment of humility. Pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). The Message Bible paraphrase renders the verse thus: “First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” Proverbs 11:2 says, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (NKJV). God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Be humble.
3. Watch and pray. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was praying, but the three disciples he went with, who were some metres away from Him, were sleeping. His soul was exceedingly sorrowful unto death, and He told them to watch with Him for one hour and to pray so that they wouldn’t fall into temptation. He wasn’t even asking them to pray for Him, but to pray for themselves. However, they didn’t (Matthew 26:36-46). The instruction was: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (verse 41a NKJV). Nevertheless, they didn’t watch and pray, and after His arrest, they all deserted Him. Peter, who was following him from a distance, eventually denied Him three times. If only they had prayed, they might have responded better to the situation.
4. Deal with envy in your life. Those who conspired to kill Jesus were moved by envy. Pilate, who presided over Jesus’ trial, is a witness. “Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy” (Matthew 27:17-18 NKJV). Mark 15:9-10 says a similar thing.
See the envy of the Pharisees in Luke 19:37-40 when they asked Jesus to rebuke the multitude of the disciples who were saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Verse 38). But what was Jesus’ reply? “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (verse 40 NKJV).
Galatians 5:21 tells us that envy is one of the works of the flesh. Envy has led many people to commit serious crimes even today. James 3:16 says, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (NKJV). Get rid of envy before it destroys you and leads you to hellfire. Job 5:2 says, “Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple” (NIV). Repent of envy.
5. Don’t join people in conspiracies. Conspiring against others is evil. The religious leaders, motivated by envy, conspired against Jesus and ensured His arrest, trial and crucifixion. They were His Jewish brothers, yet they conspired and killed Him.
Joseph’s brothers conspired against him and sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:25-28). Miriam was Moses’ sister, and Aaron was his brother; they attacked and criticised him, using the Cushite woman he had married as a pretext. They were actually envious of his relationship with God (Numbers 12). Absalom, David’s son, conspired with others, including Ahithophel, one of his father’s counsellors, against David, and drove him away from the throne (2 Samuel 15:12).
Don’t join a rebellion. Don’t let anyone recruit you into it. Conspiracy against a child of God or a servant of God amounts to conspiracy against God. Be careful! Nahum 1:9 says, “What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time” (NKJV). The New Living Translation renders the verse thus: “Why are you scheming against the Lord? He will destroy you with one blow; he won’t need to strike twice!” (NLT).
6. Develop courage to do what is right. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent – he said He was a just person, He was innocent, he didn’t find Him guilty, etc. (Matthew 27:24; Luke 23:4, 14, 22; John 19:6b). Instead of setting Jesus free, he asked the Jews, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17 NKJV). Verse 18 says, “For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy” (NKJV).
Despite the warning by Pilate’s wife, he lacked the courage to set Jesus free, because he wanted to please the Jews. Matthew 27:19 says, “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him’” (NKJV).
But what followed Mrs. Pilate’s intervention? Pilate set free a criminal and delivered to be crucified the innocent, yet Pilate claimed to be innocent of the blood of this just Person (verse 26). That can’t be true. Pilate was an accomplice. He is also liable.
7. Be careful about the choices you make. Life is about choices, and the choices you make today will determine your future. Your choices don’t affect you alone; they affect other people, especially those who have relationships with you.
The chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes to ask Pilate to release Barabbas, a criminal, to them and Jesus, the innocent, the righteous man to be crucified (Matthew 27:20). Not mindful of their choice in asking that Jesus be crucified, they even put a curse on themselves and their children: “And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’” (Matthew 27:25 NKJV). They cursed themselves and their offspring.
Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38), a prominent member of the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), refused to support the Council in their decision to condemn Jesus to be crucified. He further took a risk to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus, who had been crucified on a charge of treason, and went to bury Him (Luke 23:52-54; Mark 15:43-46; John 19:38). He took a risk by making himself vulnerable to attacks from his colleagues, other Jews and the Roman government for associating himself with a ‘criminal’ executed for treason.
Joseph made the right choice, identifying with Jesus, just like Nicodemus, another secret disciple of Jesus (John 3) and fellow Council member. Nicodemus had, in John 7:51, spoken in favour of Jesus, saying, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” (NKJV).
This same Nicodemus, obviously, did not support the conviction of Jesus by the Jewish High Council (the Sanhedrin). After Jesus’ death, he, together with Joseph of Arimathea, gave Jesus’ body a befitting burial. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds, and together they wrapped Jesus’ body in a long linen cloth with the spices, according to Jewish burial custom (John 19:38-40).
These two members of the Sanhedrin, which consisted of a minimum of twenty-three members and a maximum of seventy-one members, made the right choice. Make the right choice wherever you are. Don’t use others’ negative influence as an excuse for making wrong decisions. Don’t follow a crowd to do evil (Exodus 23:2a).
8. Avoid spiritual pride. After Jesus’ arrest, Peter denied Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75). Before, Peter had declared that he loved Jesus, and even said that he could die with Him (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38). Yet, Peter denied Him three times. In John 21, Peter went back to fishing, probably because of his disappointment with himself for denying Jesus, despite his earlier assurance not to do so. However, in that same chapter, Jesus reinstated him into the ministry. Jesus still loved Peter despite his denial of Him.
Nobody can stand without God’s help. It is not by boasting. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV). Depend upon the grace of God. It is grace that saves us and grace that will see us through. Understanding the importance of the grace of God, Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV). You’re not sufficient of yourself to think of anything as being from you, but your sufficiency is from God (2 Corinthians 3:5). Get rid of spiritual pride.
9. Always protect your heart. The forces that will rule your life reside in your heart. Proverbs 4:23-27 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” (NLT). What you see, say, and hear, and where you go, influence what enters your heart.
Before Judas went to confer with the chief priests and captains on how to betray Jesus to them, Satan had first entered into him (Luke 22:3-4; John 13:27). Protect your heart; don’t let Satan sneak in and take you over.
10. Avoid the love of money. Money is not everything. Judas Iscariot, moved by the love of money, sold his master for thirty silver coins (Matthew 26:14-16). Eventually, he couldn’t enjoy the money. He returned it, but it wasn’t collected from him because the givers knew it was blood money. Judas died a miserable and violent death (Matthew 27:3-10). Verse 4 says, “‘I have sinned,’ he declared, ‘for I have betrayed an innocent man’” (NLT). But it was too late for him. He lost his soul and the proceeds from his treachery.
Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver (Genesis 37:28). They could remove his coat of many colours, but they couldn’t dispossess him of his destiny! They could sell him into slavery, but they couldn’t sell his destiny! Joseph’s dreams still came to pass despite his brothers’ wickedness. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10 NKJV). Beware!
11. Be committed to doing God’s will for your life. The will of God is superior to your comfort. Jesus did not place His comfort above the will of God. We see this in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). Jesus subordinated His comfort to the will of God. He lived and died for the will of God.
The psalmist said, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8 NKJV). Hebrews 10:7 and 9 also refer to this scripture. Doing the will of God should be your delight, too. “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing” (Psalm 143:10 NLT).
12. Forgive, no matter the wrong against you. Jesus asked God to forgive those who conspired to kill Him. He prayed for them rather than cursing them. He was not bitter (Luke 23:34). Even when He was being arrested, He still did a miracle for one of His enemies – He fixed the right ear of the servant of the high priest that was cut off by one of His (Jesus’) men in the process of defending Him (Luke 22:49-51). Jesus taught forgiveness and lived it (Matthew 6:12, 14-15; 18:21-22). You should emulate Him and forgive those who wrong you.
13. Don’t neglect your parents. Jesus taught care for parents and lived it. For instance, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of religious law for their wrong teaching, which made their listeners neglect their parents (Mark 7:11-13). He taught “honour your father and mother” (Matthew 19:19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20).
While on the cross, Jesus arranged for His mother’s care before He died, even though she had other family members. “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26-27 NKJV).
Don’t neglect your parents even if they’re wealthy or you have siblings already taking care of them. Discharge your responsibility.
In the Old Testament, David also arranged for the care of his parents. After he had escaped to the cave of Adullam from King Saul, who wanted to kill him, his brothers and other relatives heard it and went to join him. Other people joined him, too. “Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, ‘Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.’ So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold” (1 Samuel 22:3-4 NKJV).
14. God, not the enemy, has the final say. Satan, working through the religious leaders, could kill Jesus, but they couldn’t stop Him from rising from the dead! Hallelujah! There is resurrection after crucifixion. God had the final say over the life of Jesus, and the devil was defeated.
Jesus disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15). I always joke that when Jesus said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), Satan, who had a hearing defect, thought Jesus said, “I am finished!” However, three days later, Jesus rose again. Not even the soldiers guarding the tomb could stop Him, because they couldn’t stop the great earthquake that accompanied His resurrection. The soldiers fainted. They were like dead men (Matthew 28:1-6). No man can hinder God. No man can stop His work in your life. You may be down now, but you’ll rise again! There’s resurrection after crucifixion.
15. Resurrection power is still alive today. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive. Many scriptures testify that God raised Jesus from the dead. These include Acts 10:40, Acts 13:29-30, Acts 13:36-37 and Romans 10:9.
Peter said, “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (Acts 4:10 NKJV). Paul said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11 NKJV).
God raised Jesus from the dead, and His power is still active today: healing, saving, and delivering. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” (Romans 8:11 NLT). By the power of resurrection, I decree your release from any bondage you may be in now in Jesus’ name.
16. There is resurrection for every human being after death. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18 ASV).
1 Corinthians 15:12-14 says, “Now if Christ is preached that he hath been raised from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised: and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain” (ASV). When Jesus died and rose from the dead, other saints also rose. This was to show that the resurrection of Jesus was a pointer to what awaits Christians (Matthew 27:50-53).
Don’t be like the Sadducees who didn’t believe there is resurrection (Acts 23:8). Death is not the end for man; there’s going to be a resurrection – a resurrection to eternity, either in hell or with God. Where will you spend your eternity? Paul said, “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15 NKJV). That’s my hope, too, and that is my faith in God. Are you a sinner or a saint? There is resurrection for you.
For the child of God, there is resurrection unto eternity with God. That is why you must give your life to Jesus if you want to spend your eternity with God, and not with the devil.
Conclusion: Glory be to God! Jesus didn’t commit suicide; He was crucified! He died on the cross to save you and me. His death is not in vain. He is risen! “He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again’” (Luke 24:6-7 NKJV).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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