Lesson 7

THROUGH DEATH TO LIFE

Past and present history give many shocking examples of man’s cruelty to his fellowmen. In our own experience, in our neighbourhood, in our own family, perhaps, we have seen or suffered from the greed or jealousy or hatred of others.

This and all other evils – racial hatred, corruption, exploitation, cheating the poor, war, perversion – all are the fruit of men’s selfishness. It all comes from the worship of self instead of worship of God.

All of us know from the struggle we have felt within ourselves how strong self can be. Especially when it is checked or threatened, self can explode with the violence of a nuclear bomb.

When this is kept in mind, it is not so surprising that Jesus Christ suffered and died such a cruel and horrible death. For He came into this world from His Father for one purpose – He came to give men and women of every age victory over evil, sin, death and self. The forces of evil at once recognized Him as a threat, and as the hatred of some leaders for Him grew, they tried to destroy Him.

Most thoughtful persons have at times the bitter experience of sin in themselves – like the younger son whose story we saw at the beginning of these pages. I know that something is radically wrong with me. But do I dare to hope that there is a remedy for me, as a man in Mumbai did who wrote the following letter?

‘Being a sinner, I had to be true to God and myself. I had a feeling that God still loved me and the world and must have provided for my salvation, even though I was a wretched sinner. Then I came across John’s Gospel where he wrote, `God so loved the world that he gave up His only-begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him may not perish, but have eternal life.” We have now seen how far that love for us took Christ.”

A SECOND ADAM

Isaiah the prophet foretold of one who would come to take upon Himself the burden of all our sins.

“Our weakness, and it was He who carried the weight of it,

Our miseries, and it was He who bore them,

A leper, so we thought of Him,

A man God had smitten and brought low,

and all the while it was for our sins