Month: April 2025

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Good News on the Third Day

“He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.”

These words from the Apostles’ Creed are good news. They recognize the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the centerpiece of Christian faith.  The Creed is the oldest confession of Christian faith not found in the New Testament. It was not actually formulated by the apostles of Jesus, but it is based upon their teachings. It was used to instruct new believers in the essentials of the faith. It was their personal confession at baptism. The Apostles’ Creed brings us back to the true gospel as it is revealed in the New Testament.

Jesus was crucified

“Crucifixion” is related to the Latin word for “cross.” There is a word which captures the torture involved in this form of death. It is the word “excruciating,” which literally means “of the cross.” Think of Jesus’ excruciating agony  the next time you see a cross atop a church spire or worn as a piece of jewelry.

Jesus’ enemies hurled insults and mockery as he was dying. They challenged him to come down from the cross if he was really the Son of God. “It is because Jesus did not come down from the cross that we believe in him,” wrote William Booth. He stayed there to complete his rescue mission.

There was once an eccentric preacher named Alexander Wooten. He was approached by a young man who asked, “What must I do to be saved?” “It’s too late,” Wooten replied.

The young man became alarmed. “Do you mean that it is too late for me to be saved? Is there nothing I can do?”

“Too late!” said Wooten. “It’s already been done. The only thing you can do is believe.”

Jesus completed what he had come to earth to do. It was a demonstration of love so great that Jesus was willing to suffer for our sins so that we might be forgiven and accepted by God the Father. This forgiveness is offered to us. All that remains is for us to receive it by believing in Jesus. He died that we might live.

Jesus was buried

This detail is important because it is evidence that the human Jesus actually died. He was not in a death-like coma and later revived. His disciples did not stage these events in an attempt to contrive a phony resurrection. Everyone involved knew he was really dead.

The Roman governor Pilate sent a message to the centurion asking if Jesus was dead. The chief Roman executioner confirmed that he was dead. Joseph, a prominent member of the Jewish high council, and a secret disciple of Jesus, secured permission to bury the body of Jesus. With the help of Nicodemus, another Jewish leader, he wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen cloth with a large quantity of spices.

Often criminals who were crucified took several days to die. Their bodies were usually dumped unceremoniously into the public garbage heap to be burned or to be food for scavenging birds or wild dogs. Instead, the body of our Lord was treated with respect and care by two of his secret followers.

The New Testament tells us that they buried the body in a new tomb cut out of rock which was near the place of execution. Matthew’s gospel says that this was Joseph’s own tomb. If you go to the Holy Land today you may visit a first century tomb called the Garden Tomb. It matches the description we read in the gospels. It is cut out of solid rock. It has a trough in which a  stone could be rolled in front of the entrance. There is a chamber for visitors and a chamber with a ledge where a body could have been placed. It is near a hill called “skull hill” which many believe to be the place of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Whether or not this is the actual burial place, it is very much like the place we see described in the Bible.

He rose again

William Barclay wrote, “If Jesus had not risen from the dead we’d never have heard of him.” Indeed, the resurrection is absolutely essential to the Christian faith. If it did not happen, Paul said, our faith is empty, void, vacuous.  Biblical scholar C.H. Dodd said that this is “not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the church itself grew up, and the ‘given’ upon which its faith was based.”

Novelist John Updike put it poetically: “Make no mistake, if he rose at all / it was as his body; / if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle, / the Church will fall.”

The New Testament gospels tell of events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. The immediate response of his disciples was alarm, amazement, and unbelief. The news spread rapidly of the presence of angels, the empty tomb, and the subsequent appearances of Jesus to his disciples. “By far, the best proof of the resurrection,” wrote William Barclay, “is the existence of the Christian church. Nothing else could have changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and flaming with courage.”

This is what believers celebrated last Sunday in Easter services all over the world. “He was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). “He was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). This is why the Apostles’ Creed insists, “On the third day he rose again.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

A NOTE TO READERS: If this article is helpful to you, please consider passing it along to others. Reposting this on your favorite social media platform may be a way for you to join me in bearing witness about our faith in Jesus.

 

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He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

“He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.”

It is fitting that we read these words on this day of days. This phrase from the Apostles’ Creed reminds us of what happened to our Lord Jesus on Good Friday.

In Good Friday services today believers will be reminded of the stark facts surrounding Jesus’ agonized prayers in Gethsemane, his betrayal, his mock trials, his death on a cross, and his burial. Sometimes worshippers will be instructed to depart from services in silence to emphasize the solemnity of these themes.

“He suffered”

The gospel of Mark, chapter 15, recounts the sufferings of Jesus. He suffered open rejection by his own people. “Crucify him!” they shouted (v. 14). He was also rejected by friends who betrayed him, denied him, and fled the scene when he was taken captive.

He suffered torture. Roman soldiers flogged him (v. 15). This was a brutal whipping that lashed and lacerated his back, hips, arms and neck. It was not unusual for prisoners to die by this means.

He suffered mockery. Mark describes how the soldiers put a purple robe on him, twisted thorns together to form a rude crown for his head, and then knelt before him in sarcastic mockery of “the king of the Jews” (vv. 12, 16-20).

He suffered disgrace. If you and I had witnessed all this in person, we would probably have turned our eyes away in embarrassment and shame. He was paraded through the streets of Jerusalem with insults being hurled at him. He was too weak from the flogging to carry his own cross. He was led to the place of execution to be crucified with common criminals. He was stripped naked and soldiers gambled to see who would get to keep his clothes (vv. 20-24).

It is important to remember that he did not deserve this. The apostle Peter says that “he committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). Paul adds that he “had no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Hebrews 4:15 declares that Jesus “was without sin.” He was like “a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).

“Under Pontius Pilate”

Why was Pilate named in the Apostles’ Creed? Perhaps it was to establish the historical certainty and time of Jesus’ trial and death.  There are references to Pontius Pilate in the annals of Roman history, as well as in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. In 1964, archaeologists discovered at Caesarea in Israel, a first century inscription bearing the name and title of Pilate. Also, naming him in this way establishes the complicity of the Gentile governor in the death of Jesus. The Jews were not the only ones responsible.

Mark’s account of the interrogation of Jesus before Pilate reveals how eager the governor was to appease the Jewish leaders. He knew Jesus had done nothing wrong, but he was willing to violate all the laws of justice to keep himself in power and to try to keep order in Judea.

It has been said that when Pilate thought Jesus was on trial before him, it was he who was on trial before Jesus! William Barclay wrote this about Pilate: “He did the wrong thing because he was afraid to do the right thing. He was not the first, who, when confronted with the choice between worldly ambition and obedience to Jesus Christ — chose worldly ambition.”

“Was crucified, died and was buried”

Crucifixion has been described as a hideous death in which the victim literally dies a thousand deaths. It is hard not to think of Jesus as a victim of a great tragedy. Humanly, it is a tragedy and a travesty of justice. But theologically — and we are called to think theologically about this — it is not a tragedy, but a victory.

Mark does not explain the theological significance of the crucifixion. His gospel states the historical facts, but it does not interpret them. It is the teaching and writing of the other apostles that gives us the fuller explanation. Nor does Mark give a detailed description of all that was involved in crucifixion. Many contemporary scholars have researched the matter. History and archaeology give ample evidence to support the Bible’s brief description of events.

The Creed is correct. Jesus died by crucifixion. The Romans executed thousands by this method. They were experts at it. They knew when a victim had died. Jesus was buried. This is proof of his death. This is what we remember on Good Friday.

Why?

Looking at this from God’s point of view — and that is what it means to think theologically — we are given reasons for Jesus’ suffering. It was God’s purpose. It was his eternal plan. Jesus prayed shortly before he died, “What shall I say? ‘Father save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27).

It was the Son’s obedience. Jesus said, “I lay down my life. . . . No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (John 10:18).

It was our sin that caused the death of Jesus. It was necessary that a perfectly sinless human being (God’s Son) die for the sins of the world. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Not long after the release of his film “The Passion of the Christ” Mel Gibson was interviewed by Diane Sawyer. “Who killed Jesus?” she asked. “We all did,” he answered.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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The Virgin Birth Really Matters

I know this is not the Advent season but in our examination of the Apostles’ Creed we have come to the phrase concerning the Lord Jesus: “He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.” This matters. From the very beginning, Christians have believed in the sinless deity, miraculous conception, and the virgin birth of Jesus.

This is because it is what the Bible teaches. There are skeptics who say it doesn’t really matter whether or not Jesus was born of a virgin. But they must concede that the early church, the earliest creeds,  and the New Testament taught these things. When Christians affirm their faith in the virgin birth of Christ, it is not with fingers crossed or with mental reservations. It is because we believe Luke who recorded what the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Luke was a physician. But he was not writing on the basis of his medical experience. This was not a case study for peer review in a medical journal. What he was describing is a great miracle of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to draw certain conclusions.

First, Jesus was fully human. He had a human birth. While his conception was supernatural, his birth was according to natural processes. This agrees with the idea that in Jesus Christ, the human and the divine are united in one person.

Second, Luke implies that Jesus was without sin. This is taught repeatedly in the New Testament. Here our Lord is spoken of as “the Holy One.” It is inconceivable that God could be incarnated in human flesh if it involved sin. This is attributable to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus’ divine pre-existence.

A third conclusion is obvious from Luke 1:35. We are told that this Holy Child “will be called the Son of God.” As Mary’s son, he was fully human. As the Son of the Most High, he was divine. How could he be the Son of God if he had a human father? The virgin birth really matters. It involves the entrance of God into the stream of humanity. It highlights our Lord’s absolute uniqueness. He is “Immanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

To deny this is to deny the supernatural character of the gospel. It is the story of a great miracle. If one denies the miracle of the virgin birth of Christ, it is only a short step toward denying the many miracles, the resurrection, and the second coming of Jesus Christ as well.

The trustworthiness of the Bible is at stake. Let’s just say it plainly. If Jesus had a human father, the Bible is not true. It comes down to this: can we trust the Bible? Were Matthew and Luke and the other writers of the New Testament guilty of falsifying their testimony about Jesus? If the virgin birth is open to question, so is everything else the Bible teaches.

On the other hand, if the Bible is truthful and trustworthy, then we can accept the fact that it contains the record of supernatural events that are beyond our comprehension and must be accepted by faith.

When we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we acknowledge that God used miraculous means to bring his Son into the world. This was a special act of his love in providing a Savior who “was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.”

This matters. It means that Jesus was, and is, human like us. He understands our problems and needs. This also means that Jesus is divine. He is the powerful Son of God who is able to save and sustain all who put their faith in him.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Jesus is Lord

I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

These are the opening lines of the Apostles’ Creed. They repeat the theme of the earliest Christian confession of faith: “Jesus is Lord.” This was a dangerous thing to say in the environment where the early believers lived.

First century Romans were compelled by the state to confess, “Caesar is lord!” The Romans attributed divinity to Caesar who was to be revered not only as a king but as a god. Emperors were invested with divine authority in religious ceremonies. The declaration, “Caesar is lord” was a unifying principle throughout the various regions of the empire. It was a test of the loyalty of the people.

There were many cases where Christians would be singled out for their refusal to say those words. Many of them paid with their lives when instead they uttered the confession, “Jesus is Lord!”

The apostle Paul included these words in one of the most profound Christological passages in the New Testament. He wrote of Jesus, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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” (Philippians2:9-11).

In the time of Paul, these words were subversive. They taught the Christians to challenge the divinity of Caesar by declaring the absolute authority and deity of Jesus. No wonder Paul was martyred as an enemy of the state by the Roman government!

Whenever Christians today recite the Apostles’ Creed, or its equivalent, we are declaring that there is no higher authority than Jesus in our lives, that we worship him as we worship God. We are agreeing with Paul that his name is above every name.

Paul uses three distinct names or titles for Jesus in Philippians 2. “Jesus” is his human name. It was in common use among the Jews of his day. In his writings Paul mentions the name of Jesus over 200 times. Only four times is the name Jesus referred to without another title attached.

“Christ” is an honorific title referring to his Messiahship. It means he is God’s anointed king. In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed when they began their service for God. The title “Christ” meant that Jesus was divinely commissioned to be the king of Israel and to bring salvation to the world.

“Lord” denotes his authority as absolute ruler and divine sovereign. When the early Christians called Jesus “Lord,” they were actually confessing that Jesus of Nazareth is the God of Israel, Yahweh, the only true God. In Philippians 2, Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah. In one of the most outstanding statements of monotheism in the Bible, the God of Israel says, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. . . . Before me every knee will bow and by me every tongue will swear” (Isaiah 45:22-23). Without hesitation Paul applies these very words to Jesus Christ!

Is Jesus your God and savior? You cannot know God without knowing him. A university student wanted to share her faith in Jesus with a friend. The two of them agreed to read and discuss the Bible together. They read though the opening chapters of the gospel of John where Jesus is called God several times. After several weeks of study the young friend exclaimed, “Why, I see what it means. It means that Jesus is God!” She had been reading it for weeks and had only at this point come to the realization of it. It was not long after that that she committed her life to Jesus as her God and savior.

Jesus Christ is Lord.  He is now the Lord. In some parts of the world it is still dangerous to make that confession. The name of Jesus is cursed and blasphemed. Many people alive today have never heard his name uttered in reverence or prayer. So when we say, “I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,” it is a witness to a world that needs to know him.

Someday every tongue will make that confession.

Pastor Randy Faulkner