Easter Message: A Life Lived Backward

Think about this; Jesus was the only person who came into the world to die. “Death,” writes Arch Bishop Fulton Sheen, “was the goal and fulfillment of His life, the gold that He was seeking. Few of His words or actions are intelligible without reference to His Cross. . .  The story of every human life begins with birth and ends with death. In the Person of Christ, however, it was His death that was first and His life that was last. . . It was not so much that His birth cast a shadow on His life and thus led to His death; it was rather that the Cross was first, and cast its shadow back to His birth. His has been the only life in the world that was ever lived backward.”

Is not Sheen’s assertion a somewhat revolutionary theological thought, or is it? A life lived rearward! Though Jesus Christ was born to die and He intended from the beginning to do just that, His death would be in Jehovah-God’s time. Before He and the Father would allow Himself to be apprehended, He had to finish His ministry. He came to preach a message of, liberation, salvation and life. Now, did Jesus say to Himself, “I am going to say the most controversial things I can to antagonize the religious powers that be into killing Me?” No! His message was what it was (and is and always will be) and some would accept it and others would rebuff it. Why reject it? In this case, as in many cases, truth can cause consternation, disunity, dissention and alienation. Yet His message is precisely why the religious leaders wanted Him dead. He contested their jurisdiction, practices, and elucidations of their sacred Law, including the right to heal on the Sabbath. He blasphemously claimed to be the Messiah and the King, and made a triumphal entry into the Holy City. He claimed to be the Son of God who had the authority to forgive sins, and He had the fearlessness to cleanse their Temple.

In summation of Jesus ministry and substitutionary death; God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right; The message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of Satan, because God was with him. They killed him by hanging him on a cross. He was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. He arose from the grave on the third day just as He had foretold. For the next forty days, He makes many appearances to His followers and others, then ascends into heaven, promising to send His disciples the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to carry on His ministry.

In light of what has been stated one could reasonably conclude there is some validity to Sheen's declaration or assertion. It was rather that the Cross was first, and cast its shadow back to His birth and not Christ's birth that cast a shadow on His life and thus led to His death. Regardless, we live because He gave us life by spilling His lifeblood on Calvary's cross.