Whether in the wilderness, in the Garden of Gethsemane, during the arrest or the court hearings, on the way to Golgotha or on the cross - our Savior triumphed over the false identity in all areas. The most difficult work of redemption was accomplished with Jesus' death on the cross. But this sacrifice would have no meaning if he had not created a new life through his resurrection. His work would also have remained without success if we could not integrate it into our own lives and if there were no ambassadors to bring this message to people. But we can only pass it on if we understand it ourselves.
In this context, we look at how Jesus, as the Risen One, first appears to Mary, then to the Emmaus disciples and finally to the eleven apostles. Those to whom the resurrection was proclaimed did not believe it at first. Jesus admonished them for their hardness of heart. Although the disciples had walked with him for a long time, they were unable to exercise faith at the crucial moment. It was not anchored in their minds that Jesus had to die and that a new life was necessary in order to be saved - despite the daily offerings in the temple that symbolically pointed to his work. When they finally gain understanding, Jesus sends them into the world to bring the message to all people (Mark 14: 15-16).
The life-giving element of man is love. Through Adam's self-deception, he lost his connection to God - the only source of love. As a result, all descendants became incapable of binding themselves to God. Jesus had to nail the old dead life to the cross and create a new life that we can accept through faith. Sin means nothing other than being bound to people, living by them and obeying them. No one can approach God in this state. That is why God sent Jesus, who came into the broken life of man.
The old life must be given up completely. Only then can the new life be accepted. This leads to a process of liberation and forgiveness. Through the connection to our heavenly Father, we must gradually break the old bond with people and finally become free - able to love all people. Thus the gospel of Christ is a power of God that saves all who believe in it (Romans 1:16). It reconnects people with the only source of love from which they can live. The thirteenth part of the series “The Gospel of Mark” deals with this in detail.
Comments