EASTER AND THE RESURRECTION

I was thinking about Easter today (Saturday, the day before Easter) and I wanted to jot down a few thoughts concerning what this day means in the only history that really matters—God’s history. Where the birth of Christ was the day God began His war against all the crimes of humanity, and I define crime here as every thought and every deed contrary to the original image of God mankind was created in. The resurrection of Jesus is the first step of God’s victorious celebration of this war.

We learn from the Passover festival day that this war was going to cost God the death of His Son, the real Lamb of God. We also learn from the Unleavened Bread festival that there would be only one warrior in this fight who possessed the power to win this battle. And we see in the next festival, the First Fruits, that this war would bring about a victorious new life.

We learn from the Bible the resurrection of Jesus is a public display by God of His victory over all crime against Him, over all the demonic world opposed to Him, and over all the results of man’s crimes against God. The net result of God winning this war is that all His enemies, such as death, disease, sorrow and un-surrendered hearts to His rule will be abolished at a predetermined date in history.  

I think as we celebrate this Easter we need to remember that the resurrection of Jesus is God doing a victory lap in front of His enemies. One of my favorite passages concerning the resurrection is found in Colossians 2:15.

When God had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Jesus.   

The verses preceeding this talk about all that Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection, but in Colossians 2:15 God reveals an amazing thing. The Romans had a god by the name of Bacchus which they copied from the Greek god Dionysus. Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking, and wine which led to sensual celebrations, and cult ritual ecstasy. The Roman god Bacchus took on many of the characteristics of the Greek god as seen in their own sensual, inebriated celebrations at the victory of the grape harvest. No doubt these came about from satan trying to mock God’s festival of the First Fruits.

A noisy poetic song was chanted during the Roman festival celebration to Bacchus and was called “triambeuō.” In this Colossians 2:15 verse the original Greek word translated “triumphed” is actually the word “triambeuō” revealing in this verse an amazing concept concerning the resurrection. It says that with the resurrection of Jesus, God made a public display of the rulers and authorities who crucified Jesus as He sang His own “triambeuō” celebrating His victory. I would love to have heard God sing His poetic victory song as Jesus walked among the living for fifty days after His resurrection from the grave. Make sure this Easter you sing a “triambeuō” song of the celebration of God’s victory over all His enemies. And don’t forget to harmonize with God as you do!