Stories are best understood from the perspective of the author, not the reader. In fact, it is one of the reasons we read: to entertain and learn from someone else’s viewpoint. When reading a letter, we best understand what the writer is trying to communicate when we “put ourselves in their shoes”. In regards to the Bible story, most Christians believe that God is the author; it is His perspective and “shoes” we should adopt when we read and share it.
Generally speaking, most Christians struggle to understand the central purpose of God in the Church Age. Most of us think the story of the Bible is about us. This misguided thinking centers around our perspective of the next three days – what we observe and give focus to on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
Therefore, it should be helpful to consider the next three days from God’s perspective. What do those days mean to Him? What is His purpose in them? What’s in it for God?
For those of you struggling with the notion that Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are about God and His benefit, we offer the following passages. First, there is God’s word to Ezekiel regarding the new birth.
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.'” Ezekiel 36:22
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27
“Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!” Ezekiel 36:32
We learn from this prophecy of the new birth that God blesses His people for His name sake. The New Testament carries the same message, captured powerfully in Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and
for Him. Colossians 1:16
All things were created for Him! In the end, the Father gets what He was after from the beginning of His story.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4
It is critically important to notice that the children of God receive the blessings of God after God gets what He is after: a people He can dwell with, call His own, and reign over as their God. It would benefit us greatly – particularly in the next three days – to recognize that we are secondary beneficiaries in God’s story. His story is primarily about Him and what He is doing for Himself.
For His part (and as our example), Jesus went to the cross primarily for His Father – that He (the Father) would have a people who could worship in His presence.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10
Furthermore, Jesus was resurrected and made King by the Father, to be His agent in the ensuing war for the kingdom.
Then comes the end, when He [Jesus] delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He [Jesus] must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 1Corinthians 15:24-25
So, how does this change your perspective of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday? Can you see…
- As Jesus went to the cross primarily for His Father, so must we. We must die to ourselves for the Father’s name sake, purpose, and benefit. Good Friday should remind us that our responsibilities as disciples of Jesus Christ are to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. We should recognize ourselves as bondservants and soldier, presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God (Galatians 1:10, 2Timothy 2:3, and Romans 12:1).
- Jesus was resurrected to bring His Father’s kingdom into order. While we are celebrating that “Christ is Risen!”, we must recognize His reign over us. From this perspective, we can be greatly encouraged to resist the Devil, refuse conformity with the world, expose the deceptions of our carnal mind, and put to death the deeds of our flesh. We can, as Paul encourages, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called…” (1Timothy 6:12).
In closing, I am encouraged to share that the purpose of this article is not to minimize the expression of God’s love toward us in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. The glory of it is beyond our comprehension; but we must not stop there.
The purpose of this article is to encourage each one of us to take ourselves out of the center of the story – that God might ultimately reign there. For when we put God at the center, the rest of the story, and our place in it, is better understood.
God bless you with eyes to see and experience the next three days from His perspective.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob