How To Have A Christian Voice

There are no two subjects more likely to evoke controversy in social dialogue than religion and politics.  Put the two together and you have a melting pot of diverse values provoking divisive ideologies.  Express these ideas in an election campaign and everybody loses their minds!

As a Christian minister, blogger and social media junkie, I take a keen interest in the social commentary involving Christian values and how this is expressed in the current political climate. What interests me more are the polarised views from liberal and conservative Christians who seek to represent a biblical worldview.  On issues of morality and social justice the "Christian" voice is far from united and can leave you wondering whether we are reading the same Bible?!  Added to this disunity, is the lack of respect for each other that sadly all too often manifests itself in a less than godly manner!  I shudder to think of the implications to our Christian witness in a world that needs little reason to reject Christianity, let alone the impact upon our influence in the political arena.

Does this mean Christians should keep out of politics? Not at all!  To suggest that religion and politics are mutually exclusive is naive and misinformed.  Whether or not one professes a religious association, we all hold a set of beliefs that inform the way in which we engage in society.  In anthropological terms we call this a 'worldview'.  It is nonsensical to suggest a worldview has no place in the world where it is derived.  From a biblical point of view, God raised up prophets to speak to leaders of nations, took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ to establish a new kingdom order and commissioned the church to share and integrate the values of His kingdom.  There is a clear biblical mandate for Christians to have a voice in society, but who or what informs that voice?  And just as importantly, how should that voice be expressed?  

The simplistic answer to the 'who' is Jesus Christ, the 'what' being the Bible, and the 'how' with love.  Ironically, the majority of liberal and conservative Christians alike would agree, yet the end message still remains worlds apart from each other.  As a Christian who endeavours to maintain a posture of grace and truth, I find this immensely frustrating, especially when Scripture is distorted to validate a personal, political or popular opinion. How then do we have an effective public voice?

Far from attempting to offer an authoritative or comprehensive answer to such a complex question, I think the following principles would go a long way towards reframing and reforming a Christian voice in society:

• Foundation of Scripture:  Accept the full counsel of Scripture not just conveniently selected passages to support an idea that conforms to your own image of God.
• Lordship of Jesus Christ:  Submit to God's pattern and design for humankind, as revealed through the character, teaching and ministry of Jesus.
• Values of the Kingdom:  Uphold counter-cultural biblical values in a manner that fosters respectful relationships with those who have an alternative worldview.
• Posture of Grace & Truth:  Pursue an incarnational posture of humility and holiness where grace and truth recalibrates the centre of Christian faith.

The links attached to each of the above principles provides further insight to how we can restore the integrity of our Christian voice (please take the time to read my expanded thoughts on each of these principles).  

Furthermore, Jesus earnestly prayed, "that they may be one as we are one...so that they may be brought to complete unity" (John 17:22-23).  Holy Spirit came upon the disciples when "they were all with one accord" (Acts 2:1).  Paul exhorted the church to "equip God's people...so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God" (Ephesians 4:12-13) and speaks against divisions among leaders in the church, "I appeal to you...that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10) - If ever there is a time for a unified Christian voice, it is now!

We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.  Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”  (Acts 2:5-12)

My dream for our community is that everyone we encounter, from all cultural backgrounds, will say of the Cranbourne Salvation Army, "We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"  

Today, I captured a photo of some of our Community Support Services volunteers representing six nations, different faith perspectives and diverse life experiences. Yet, each one of them identify with the mission of The Salvation Army in some capacity and voluntarily give their time to serve our common humanity.  In this space there are many messages being spoken by both our words and actions, but I wonder what part of our mission is most being heard and understood?  What is our primary witness - the works of 'man' or the wonders of God?  Is there a langauge of love that personifies the love of God and transcends culture?

The cultural diversity of our volunteers is reflective of the cultural diversity of our community.  My prayer is that the Spirit of God will move with such power through our ministry that everybody we encounter will be "utterly amazed" just like those gathered at Pentecost and will also ask, "What does this mean?"  When they do, may we be empowered to declare the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a way so "that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21).

Cross-Cultural Ministry

"The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian
Church.  Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission
is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination."

The Salvation Army International Mission Statement

As a part of this international movement I not only see the internationalism of The Salvation Army expressed in various nations from a distance but up close through diverse cultural expressions in my own ministry context in Australia.  This creates a rich and complex cross-cultural mission field for me and my church.  

While I personally have a culturally diverse heritage, with Maltese blood and Italian and German grandparents, I am Australian born and was spiritually raised in an English speaking, mono-cultural church in a working-class suburb in Melbourne.  Yet, growing up, my best friend was Croatian and some of my class mates were from a Lebanese, Egyptian, Turkish and Greek background.

Our training as Salvation Army Officers was alongside an Indonesian cadet who trained with us in Melbourne. Our first appointment was in the Northern Territory where we engaged with the Indigenous community and hosted a number of YWAM discipleship training teams from south-east Asia and Europe.  Through successive appointments we have led short-term mission trips to Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Denpasar, Jakarta and Palu in Indonesia.  In our current appointment we have an active ministry to asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Egypt; conduct English classes for a diverse range of nationalities; participate in inter-faith dialogue with Pakistanis from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; provide facilities for local Christian Indian prayer groups; and have a large multi-cultural volunteer base.

It is any wonder that God has birthed within us a passion for cross-cultural ministry!  However, despite our passion, how do we effectively lead and minister in this space?

Most of our cross-cultural ministry has been accidental, providing us with steep learning curves that have demanded far more intentional responses.  Our growing awareness of other cultures has led both me and my wife into formal learning pathways to educate and equip us to navigate this culturally diverse ministry landscape.

Recently, I was asked to make a presentation to our Growing Healthy Corps group about some cross-cultural ministry insights we have learned along the way.  We are far from experts and feel at times we have little clue about what we are doing in a very complex and fluid environment.  Nevertheless, our journey so far has instilled within us four fundamental beliefs and three missional convictions about cross-cultural ministry.

Cross-Cultural Ministry - 4 Fundamental Beliefs

1. The Creator reveals Himself to ALL humankind (Romans 1:20)
2. God's desire is for ALL to be saved (2 Peter 3:9)
3. Holy Spirit is preparing hearts for salvation (John 16:7-15)
4. Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12)

These four fundamental beliefs enable me to interact with different cultures and other faiths from a different position than from my evangelical upbringing.  First, we don't need to take God anywhere, He is already present, providing all people with a partial revelation of the Creator God through His creation.  Second, no culture or religion is outside of the scope of God's salvation.  Third, Holy Spirit is at work long before us, therefore, our role is to 'join in on a conversation that has already begun.'  Finally, a full revelation of God can only be seen through Jesus Christ.

Cross-Cultural Ministry - 3 Missional Convictions

The Apostle Paul's interaction with the men of Athens (Acts 17:16-34) has given form to my fundamental beliefs by providing a biblical framework that has produced my missional convictions about cross-cultural ministry:

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. (Acts 17:16-17)

Conviction #1 - Look for where God is already present

"Cross-cultural witnesses need to look for such indications of God's prior working in whatever societies they go to and work in continuity with them."

Charles H. Kraft, Anthropology for Christian Witness

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. (Acts 17:22-23) 

Conviction #2 - Listen for gaps in their revelation of God

"As we work with the people, we need to find out what kinds of questions they are asking for which they are unable to find answers within their culture."

Charles H. Kraft, Anthropology for Christian Witness

 

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (Acts 17:26-28)

Conviction #3 - Learn how to share a revelation of Jesus

"It is very significant to me that Jesus was a storyteller.  

We westerners are sermonizers, and there is a big difference between the effectiveness of a storytold message and a sermonized message."

Charles H. Kraft, Anthropology for Christian Witness

These three missional convictions are not only a three step process for sharing the gospel in a cross-cultural context but in any context.  They create a posture of looking, listening and learning that fosters what Clark Pinnock calls a dialogical relationship, which is foundational to effective cross-cultural ministry.

"We should watch for whatever Spirit may be teaching and doing among them.  This posture creates the possibility of a dialogical relationship.  We can enter into the faith of others and acknowledge truths and values found there.  These are our fellow human beings, seeking truth as we are.  God is reaching out, and people are responding.  So let us watch for points of contact and bridges of communication." - Clark H. Pinnock, Flame of Love

Paul personified a dialogical relationship with the men of Athens that enabled him to recognise where God was at work, identify a gap in their knowledge and evoke from them a relational response, "We want to hear you again on this subject" (Acts 17:32).  The result?  "Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed."

This has completely changed my approach to evangelism in all contexts, especially cross-culturally!  As a cross-cultural minister I should maintain the attitude of a fellow learner who is also on a faith journey.  As a cross-cultural minister I need to tune into the universal work of the Spirit and share it's unique expression in Jesus Christ.  As a cross-cultural minister my role is to join in on a conversation that has already begun.  

"We have to say both yes and no to other religions.  On the one hand, we should accept any spiritual depth and truth in them.  On the other hand, we must reject darkness and error and at the very least see other faiths as insufficient apart from fulfilment in Christ.  The key is to hold fast to two truths:  the universal operations of grace and the uniqueness of its manifestation in Jesus Christ." - Clark H. Pinnock, Flame of Love

Legacy Of A Leader

Today, as I gathered with a crowd of Salvationists at the Melbourne Town Hall to celebrate the life of General Eva Burrows, the following exhortation by the writer to the Hebrews who gave testimony to a long list of men and women of faith resonated deep within my spirit...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."

I was indeed among a "great cloud of witnesses" on this historic occasion giving testimony to a faithful woman of God and extraordinary world leader who "[ran] with perseverance the race marked out for [her], fixing [her] eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of [her] faith."

 

The Lord Mayor of Melbourne gave witness to a recipient of a Companion of the Order of Australia who loved and served the most vulnerable people of our city in her retirement.

The Corps Officer of Melbourne 614 gave witness to the then territorial leader of the Australia Southern Territory who spoke words of encouragement into his life as a young man.

The current Territorial Commander gave witness to a spiritual leader whose life conviction and theme was in everything for Christ to have supremacy.

The current General of The Salvation Army gave witness to a courageous and compassionate leader who was equally comfortable talking with world leaders and walking with common people, earning her the affectionate title 'the people's general'.

As one among many, I add my voice as a witness to the legacy of a leader who encouraged a 12 year old boy by signing my Bible while visiting my home Corps when she was a Commissioner and who believed in the vision of a Corps Officer by endorsing my book as a retired General.

“You must read this book. It is alive with the Spirit of God sweeping through a group of believers from many churches who united together in response to a vision of what God could accomplish through prayer. They discovered the mighty, transforming power of prayer for themselves and for others. It’s like a scene from the book of Acts, but set in a modern suburb in South Australia, and alight with the same fire-power and faith to achieve wonders in His name.” - General Eva Burrows AC (Rtd), Former International Leader of The Salvation Army

The years in between these two encounters have given me a vision of Salvation Army Officership that personified a shared covenant of those "Called by God to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ...to love, trust and serve Him supremely all my days; to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life; to maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army and, by God's grace to prove myself a worthy officer."

 

Engaging With Other Religions

Over the past three years, I have been on an extraordinary journey of discovery as I have dared to entertain the idea that God is at work through other religions.  Even now, writing such a realisation still feels a little strange as I have grown up in an evangelical culture that says, 'you are either of God (as Christians understand Him) or of the devil,' and there was no grey area to allow for the possibility of divine revelation occurring in an interfaith context.

Scripture unmistakeably records God declaring, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 5:6-7); Jesus affirming, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No-one comes to the Father except through me"  (John 14:6); and the Spirit's relationship in the Godhead, "When the Counsellor [Holy Spirit] comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me [Jesus]" (John 15:26).

As a Christian, I hold firmly to these Biblical truths and an uncompromising belief "that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship" (The Salvation Army, Doctrine 2).

However, I also recognise that "since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).  I understand that faith comes from God:  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8); "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2).  And I affirm that Holy Spirit is already at work in the world - "in the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people" (Acts 2:17) - revealing Jesus Christ - "He [Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me [Jesus] by taking what is mine and making it known to you" (John 15:14).

Therefore, I have come to believe that Holy Spirit has planted a seed of faith in all people, and religion is a human response to a partial revelation of God, forming a framework of understanding around what has been revealed.  This means that my interaction with other faiths is not to bring God where He is already present, but to discover where God is already at work and join in a conversation that has already begun.  From this posture I can share a fuller revelation of God by pointing people to Jesus Christ, because "in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9) and "the Son [Jesus] is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:3).

For me, this has radically changed my view of and approach to evangelism!   Evangelism is not so much a proclamation of truth, but an interactive relationship that gives witness to the incarnational truth that "the Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14) so that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).  Clark Pinnock describes the nature of such a relationship: 

“We should watch for whatever Spirit may be teaching and doing among them. This posture creates the possibility of a dialogical relationship. We can enter into the faith of others and acknowledge truths and values found there. These are our fellow human beings, seeking truth as we are. God is reaching out, and people are responding. So let us watch for points of contact and bridges of communication” (Pinnock 1996, The Flame of Love, p. 205).

From this vantage point I now find certain "evangelical" language an affront to the Spirit's presence and activity in other faiths.  To suggest that people are 'heathen' or 'godless' is to deny God's sovereignty.  To renounce the 'god' of any religion or to pray against the 'demonic spirit' of a religion, dishonours other people's spiritual journey, dismisses the work of the Spirit, disregards a partial revelation of God, and does little to foster a dialogical relationship where Christ can be revealed.

• What if the 'god' of a Muslim is a partial understanding of the Creator of the universe?
• What if the 'faith' of a Buddhist is a genuine response to prevenient grace?
• What if the 'religion' of a Hindu is an attempt to live out a divine consciousness?

Let me be very clear at this point!  I am not suggesting for a moment that other religions are an equal or alternative pathway to God.  I am not denying the reality of a spiritual battle between the God of heaven and "the god of this age [who] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  Nor am I suggesting that all aspects of religious practice are Spirit-led or God-honouring.  Every religion, including Christianity, has embraced false or incomplete beliefs about the Creator and have demonstrated behaviour that is contradictory to a holy and just God!  Pinnock expresses well what I am suggesting:  “We have to say yes and no to other religions.  On the one hand, we should accept any spiritual depth and truth in them.  On the other hand, we must reject darkness and error…The key is to hold fast to two truths: the universal operations of grace and the uniqueness of its manifestation in Jesus Christ” (Pinnock 1996, p. 202).

With a new wave of religious extremism emerging in our world today, we must be very careful not to reject the work of the Spirit in fear of the work of Satan.  We must not assume that people seeking God through another faith perspective are the enemy.  We must be careful not to shut down the dialogue with people from other religions or cultures.  We must seek to strengthen relationships with people on a faith journey rather than segregate ourselves from them.  We must not exchange a spirit of humility for a spirit of superiority.  We must keep a posture of learning and openness to wherever and with whomever the Spirit is moving.  We must "in [our] relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11).

With eyes wide open to the ministry of the Spirit within other religions I am better positioned to “seek [and] discern the Spirit’s presence and activity in other faiths” (Amos Yong 2005, The Spirit Poured Out On All Flesh, p. 247) and recognise that “The Spirit’s mission is to bring history to completion and fulfilment in Christ" (Pinnock 1996, p. 194).  Then, like Paul who dialogued with the men of Athens about their altar "to an unknown god" (Acts 17:22-27), we might evoke a similar response from our interfaith dialogue, "We want to hear you again on this subject" (Acts 17:32).

Spiritual Seekers

This weekend I had the privilege to again partner with The Salvation Army ministry team at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.  This is my second year of witnessing scores of people feast on a smorgasbord of spirituality in search of something to fill that 'God space' in their lives and my second year of witnessing miracles as some people allowed that space to be filled by an encounter with Jesus!

Amidst this melting pot of conflicting spiritual ideologies I felt something of the tension that the Apostle Paul might have felt in Athens:

^"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there." (Acts 17:16-17)

From the group of private school students on a class excursion and the wandering Christians uncertain about their faith, to the spiritually skeptical and curious, it was disturbing to see so many people looking in all the wrong places to fill their spiritual void.  But what an opportunity!  Like Paul we looked for points of connection and sought the Spirit's guidance to speak into the gaps in the faith journey of these seekers.

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.""  (Acts 17:22-23)

Into this space...

We proclaimed the name of Jesus.

  

We gave witness to the power of Holy Spirit. 

We spoke into peoples lives through prophetic prayer.  

As we listened to what the Spirit was already saying to those seeking we discovered an openness to a revelation of Jesus Christ.  

"When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject.""  (Acts 17:32)

Once again I find myself amazed at the spiritual receptivity of people who are searching for spiritual fulfillment.  And once again I find myself wanting to awaken the church of Jesus Christ to get on the spiritual wave of Holy Spirit movement and ride a tsunami of salvation towards revival in our city!!

Who Are We?

Which image do you most associate with The Salvation Army?

Do you see The Salvation Army as a movement of prayer who are on their knees "praying in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests"?  (Ephesians 6:18)

 

or

Do you see The Salvation Army as "an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church [whose] message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination"?
(International Mission Statement)

or

Do you see The Salvation Army as a charity who "is one of the world's largest Christian social welfare organisations with more than 1,650,000 members working in over 124 countries"?
(http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/en/Who-We-Are/About-Us)

The truth is, The Salvation Army is all three!  However, the image you see more often will be the image that largely determines how you perceive The Salvation Army.  At this time of year on The Salvation Army calendar in Australia the third image is the one that will most likely shape the way the majority of people see The Salvation Army for the rest of the year, as our collectors saturate the community to collect money for the Red Shield Appeal.  This is indeed a very important activity that partly funds our ability to "meet human needs in [Jesus] name without discrimination."

However, it is only part of the picture.  It only tells part of the story about who we are and why we do what we do.  For a complete image of The Salvation Army the other two images need to become an integrated part of not only how we behave in private but how we engage in public.  Once upon a time it was very common to see The Salvation Army gathered on a street corner preaching the Word of God and praying with people for their salvation.  Today, this image is rarely seen publicly in traditional or contemporary forms.

I believe it is time for Salvationists to rise up and redeem an image of The Salvation Army that clearly communicates in public what we celebrate and worship in private.  

I believe it is time for Salvationists to no longer be "ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).

I believe it is time for our Salvation message to be seen in everything we do so "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

I believe it is time for Salvationists to realign with our evangelical mission, to rediscover how to engage with our community beyond the collection tin, and to restore a holistic image of God in our neighbourhoods by being an active presence of Jesus Christ!

What Is Your Response To The Resurrection?

This post is inspired by a creative and reflective time of worship led by the Master of Arts in Vocational Practice - Church Practice stream students at Tabor College today for their subject "Leading People in the Presence of God."

Just for fun, imagine if social media existed 2000 years ago and Jesus' status indeed read "Risen"?  I wonder what responses to His status by those first confronted with His resurrection may have read like?  

 

Let's take a lighthearted look at how those first on the scene might have responded in 21st century social media language:

"Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed...Then the disciples went back to where they were staying." (John 20:8-10)

Peter & John's status: BRB

"Jesus said to her, “Mary.”  She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”)." (John 20:16)

Mary Magdalene's status:  <3

"After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." (John 20:20)

Disciples status:  LOL

"Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

Thomas status:  OMG

Back to reality.  Each of these eyewitnesses responded to the resurrection of Jesus with an urgency, love, joy and faith that gave witness to an event that still has the power to change lives today! What is your response when you are confronted with the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

 

Jesus Crossed Over Social Divisions

Today I preached the final message in a series leading up to Easter Sunday called "CROSS Cultures" where I explored how Jesus crossed over the ethnic, religious, political and social cultures of His day to fulfill God's plan of salvation for ALL of humankind. Below is an outline of this message from Matthew 28:1-10... 

On this resurrection Sunday we conclude our ‘CROSS Cultures’ series by looking at the final culture crossed by Jesus – Social Divisions. 

Every society is marked by social divisions that establish cultural classes, dividing people into a hierarchical structure based on economics, gender, politics, race, or religion, to name a few. People living at the bottom of this social hierarchical structure understand what it is like to be subject to prejudice or victimisation. One such class of people within Jewish culture living near the bottom of a Greco-Roman society was women. Women had limited rights and a low status in their society. A reality that has unfortunately plagued women ever since in almost every culture!  

What I find fascinating about the resurrection story, and the reason I have chosen to focus on women as an example of the social divisions crossed by Jesus, is how they are featured in this story. When you consider that something as significant as the resurrection of the crucified Christ, which had enormous political and religious implications, was first communicated to women - it should demand our attention!

Let’s take a closer look at Matthew’s account of the resurrection story…  

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb."  (28:1)

• Out of all the people in the life of Jesus, the women were first at the tomb

"There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."  (28:2-6)

• Out of all the people in the life of Jesus, the angel spoke first to the women

"Come and see the place where he lay."  (28:6)

• Out of all the people in the life of Jesus, the women were invited to “come and see”

"Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’  So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said."  (28:7-9)

• Out of all the people in the life of Jesus, He chose to appear to the women first

"They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him."  (28:9)
 

• Out of all the people in the life of Jesus, the women were first to worship the resurrected Christ

"Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’"  (28:10)

• Out of all the people in the life of Jesus, He chose the women to tell His closest followers

The women received a revelation of the risen Christ when they were told to come and see.

The women received a commission by the risen Christ when they were told to go and tell.  

The women were liberated from any social divisions by being chosen to be witnesses to the single most important event of human history that is foundational to Christian faith! This is something that seems to have been overlooked by those who continue to deny women the right to lead, minister or preach in the Church! It defies logic and biblical credibility to me!!  

Just as the resurrection of Jesus Christ tore the veil in the temple, crossing religious barriers, giving all of human kind access to God; the resurrection of Jesus Christ also crosses social divisions affirming Paul’s message that, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).  

By crossing social divisions, Jesus is saying to each one of us, regardless of our position in the church or society, come and see the resurrected Christ and go and tell others the good news!