Being Raised with Him

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2: 20

If there was ever a scripture that sums up the power of Easter or Resurrection Sunday, it might be found in this verse that Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians. To understand the power of the cross is to understand the glory of His resurrection. To understand the power of the cross, one must understand it in the context of its meaning to those people who lived in the time of Christ.

Put yourself in that time. Rome ruled the “world.” Their method of ruling was through fear. The Roman Empire would conquer lands and would keep its subjects in “obedience” through a system of laws that would reward those that kept that law with the promise of Empire protection. However, for those that chose not to keep the Roman law, there were various forms of punishment that meant to exact fear in those that looked on in attempt to keep “order.” The most fearful of all punishment was crucifixion. This was the most agonizing and prolonged form of capital punishment that Rome could muster up. Those that were sentenced to crucifixion had to endure hours of a slow death that involved suffocation to terminate the guilty person’s life. It was not only the most brutal form of punishment, it was also the most shameful form of punishment. As one died, they were stripped and made to be a “gazing-stock” to those watching on. This was the most undignified of all forms of capital punishment.

Now enter into the scene Jesus. Born to be the Messiah; the chosen one; the beloved Son of God. He walked this earth in a time of great Roman oppression and fear over the Jewish nation. He was lowly in his presentation. However, He was a man of great power and strength from God. He not only healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out devils but He spoke with great power. His words were words of healing but more importantly they were words of life. He went about, during his ministry, doing good and preaching the kingdom of God. Yet His real purpose was not just to live during that time. His main purpose was to die! He was sent to be the perfect sacrifice. Not only for the Jewish nation but His sacrifice would be for the entire world. He would take the place of the many sacrifices for sin that would take place each year. His shed blood would only be needed once. However, it would be powerful enough to last through all eternity.

In that day, you actually had the confluence of two laws – the Jewish Law and the worldly law founded in the Roman Empire. The Jewish nation was looking for a Messiah or King that would conquer over the worldly law and establish a new order or kingdom based upon the Jewish law. However, God had other plans. He was not only concerned about victory over Roman law. He was most concerned about victory over Jewish law. Jesus said himself that He didn’t come to abolish the law (Jewish law) but to fulfill the law. That was the victory. What He meant was that the spirit of the law was not going to be abolished but He came to show forth a new and a better way.

Those Jewish leaders that would eventually oppose Jesus and his ministry always tried to get Him for breaking the Jewish law. There were penalties to be paid under the Jewish law as well. Just ask Stephen when he was stoned for blasphemy. However, the hatred that the Jews worked up in their hearts called for a greater punishment. They wanted to turn his “crime” over from the Jewish law to the Roman law. Both Herod and Pilate struggled with this transition from Jewish law to Roman law. They could find no fault in Him under their law. However, they were also afraid of an insurrection occurring in their “kingdoms.” Remember, fear was the main method of operation of that time. They also had to answer to Rome. If things got out of hand, they could be held accountable.

Finally succeeding, Pilate pronounced sentence while releasing one of the most harden criminals in the land. His sentencing came while trying to sidestep the real issue. He didn’t believe Jesus was guilty of the Roman Law. However, in order to “keep the peace,” he allowed the Jews to push him into his decision. He even tried to wipe the blood from his hands while blaming the Jews. However, this was all a part of God’s master plan. He was sending his Son to nail sin to the cross by using the current day’s law as the means of fulfilling His plan. It was the cruelest form of punishment. It was also the most shameful form of punishment … to a man who was NOT guilty.

Think of those that day who couldn’t wait to see this time come. They were finally getting rid of the trouble maker from Galilee. They wanted the “world” to know that they disapproved of this man and his teachings and what better way to expose Him but to have Him killed by the cruelest of punishments that Rome had to offer. Think of those that followed Him. Where were they? All had rejected Him but a few including his own mother. Those that fled had succumbed to fear … and that is just what the Jewish leaders wanted. Those few that stayed until the end, I can imagine that their hope had fled, even if they didn’t.

However, they Roman law was not powerful enough to stop Him. The Jewish leaders only became pawns in God’s master plan. For after 3 days in the tomb, HE AROSE! Praise God, He arose for you and for me. When He arose He offered up a new and a better way for you and I. No longer were we to be enslaved under the bondage of the law. No longer were we to be slaves onto sin. He became the perfect sacrifice and YES, IT IS FINISHED! He completed the way for all men, not just the Jewish nation, to come onto the Father freely. When that veil was rent, it opened up a way for us all to come boldly unto the throne of grace (Hebrews 4: 14-16). No more old testament sacrifices. What He did, He did once and for all … for all mankind.

However, there is a condition to obtaining this free access to the throne. Galatians 2: 20 tells us that we must go through the same process as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We must also be crucified with Him. This death is one of agony. This death is one of pain. This death is one that brings about a recognition of shame for the things that we have done. And just as it was in the time of Christ, our enemy wants to bring about a mindset of fear when going through this death.

However, God has a master plan for our crucifixion. He wants our death to be held up and open to others as a means for all men to see what it takes to be risen in Him. Once we die out to sin and selfishness or no longer live, then Jesus through the Holy Spirit, now lives in us. And that “new life” now becomes a gazing-stock to our world. Paul said it this way:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5: 17-19

For Easter or Resurrection Sunday to have power in us. We must first be crucified with Christ. That crucifixion is continual. Jesus told us to take up our crosses daily (Luke 9:23). Paul also said that he died daily (1 Corinthians 15: 31). However, once we die then we need to live in newness of life which means being raised with Jesus in His resurrection. Once we have been and continue to be resurrected then we must help others or minister the word of reconciliations. This all done because He first loved us and gave himself for us. This is the true power of Easter!