What Holds Us Captive?

Throughout known history, humankind has had a deep interest in the afterlife. You might even admit to having a deep feeling or a realisation that maybe one day we’re all going to be held account for the life we have lived on this earth. The Pharaohs of old had a symbol for the afterlife called the “The Key of Life”. And what they believed was that a body in the afterlife could not be resurrected until the soul returned to the body. But what they did in a temple like this, was they embalmed the body so that it would not decompose so that the soul if the Pharoah’s heart was good could return and find that body, and that would then complete the process of resurrection. And of course, they would then bury the bodies and that is why we have these incredible structures today. Fast forward a few thousand years and Jesus’ teaching on the afterlife was completely different. As he spoke to thousands often on boats like this he spoke about the afterlife in a way that it doesn’t need to be feared or not in a way that you should go to elaborate ways in order to secure it. instead, he spoke with authority as the one who could take away our sins so that we could enter it. And Jesus also spoke about sin in a way that we could understand its impact and its effects on our lives. Like the effect of sin in not being able to be ourselves even before God. Or the effect of sin in using the things of the world to find our identity or our self-worth. Or the effect of sin in using power and influence over others and to the neglect of others. Jesus said that if we trust in what he has done for us that ‘we will know the truth and that the truth will set us free’ (John 8:32). It’s interesting the games that the world plays. It's marketing, it’s advertising, companies trying to convince us to be something or buy something by playing on our insecurities and our crisis of identity. They promise to make us what ‘they’ ultimately want us to be. It’s the message that you must be a certain something in order to fit in or be good enough or find your self-worth. But this is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught. The world says If only you were more attractive, if only you were more appealing. Come with us and we’ll make you prettier, smarter, funnier, richer. What we may not realise is that Jesus dealt with his own particular version of this. Now, don’t get me wrong. No one was saying that Jesus was out of shape or was trying to sell him shampoo. But the stories of the coming Messiah, the Christ, that echoed around his world placed expectations upon his life. 'When the Messiah comes, he will lead us to victory.' 'The Messiah will make us powerful.' ‘When the Messiah comes, we will overthrow the Romans and put our enemies to the sword!' As Jesus lived and demonstrated the love and goodness of God, people would place these expectations on Him. In John’s Gospel, he feeds five thousand people but quickly leaves afterwards because he realizes that the people want to make him king by force. That isn’t what he is there for and he wasn’t gonna let the world win. Part of the reason he came to earth was to set people free from the societal pressure that holds us captive. The people at that time were so lost in the effects of sin that they wanted Jesus to establish an empire built on power and bloodshed. But Jesus came to build a kingdom based on love and sacrifice. And the sacrifice that Jesus made was overwhelming. He was beaten, he was flogged, and he was spat at. A crown of thorns was thrust upon his head as they mockingly called him king. Nailed to wood and left to die, it seems as if Jesus has lost — as if God has lost! But what the disciples didn't even know then, is that this is exactly how change would be brought into the world. Sin and brokenness came into the world when humanity tried to take God’s place. Healing and forgiveness came into the world when God took our place. As the ancient prayer goes, He opened up his arms wide upon a cross and with a love stronger than death, he made the perfect sacrifice for sin. On the cross, at his most vulnerable, Jesus enters in and takes on all our humanness all our weakness, a choice he made out of love. Hanging there, he embraces all brokenness, all the things that have been done to us and all the broken things that we have done. And, just before he dies, he cries out, It is finished. It’s done. It’s over. We can be forgiven. We can be free. And so if someone was to ask me the question, what’s Jesus got to do with me? I'd say, He died for me...which tells me that I’m worth dying for, that I’m loved, and that I’m known. I'd say that He died for me just as I am, I’m accepted. I'd say that Jesus rose from the dead, which tells me that things don’t have to stay the same. And that He gave me the Holy Spirit, I don’t have to do this alone. This series has taken us on a journey. Sometimes it felt like we were wearing goggles in a science lab, other times it felt like we were blowing the dust off really old books to see what they had to say. We’ve questioned whether or not historical events happened and we've also questioned what to do with the painful things that happened to us. With all the questions that have been asked in these episodes, I want to finish with just one. I’ve tried my best to answer it but how would you answer the question, “What’s Jesus got to do with you?” No one can answer it for you - only you can... And I’ve heard it once said, that the most physical, emotional, spiritual thing that anyone can do is choose, everything begins with a choice. And to choose faith, to choose to believe beyond yourself is a choice only you can make. I believe that you are loved, just as you are, by a God who didn’t flinch when it came to restoring a relationship with you. I believe God chose you. What will you choose?