A Time to Remember and Rejoice!
This year’s Passion Week – what we call the week leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection – included some special elements, including a walk-through experience that many Koinonia members built together. Called the “Passion Experience,” the maze-like narrative helped walk us through the main events that occurred during Jesus’ final days before being delivered up to the cross. Although many of the rooms were somber reminders of several people who contributed to Jesus being wrongfully captured and crucified, we also had time to reflect on how we are just like the betrayers, cowards, and failures that Judas, Pilate, and Peter were. As we identified ourselves with each of the characters, we saw that it’s the same sin in us that put Jesus on the cross.
These themes carried onto our Good Friday and Easter services, as we heard how we are the ones responsible for the cross – we are marred with sin and mar this world, others, and ultimately betray God with our sin. Although we could be left hopelessly asking ourselves, “What can wash away our sin?,” we’re instead left with the great news of the cross: that Jesus, out of His love for us, took on all the accusations that belonged to us and the full penalty we were supposed to pay, so that we could have life and life eternal.
We ended the Good Friday service writing down our unconfessed sins, and then left them at the foot of the cross – symbolizing that the cross made the washing away of each of our sin possible. Instead of the condemning words we rightfully deserved, the cross gave us new identities in Christ – no longer condemned, forgiven sinner, beloved.
Easter was a time to celebrate this magnificent truth, knowing that Jesus conquered over death as He rose back to life! As the orchestral choir sang that “we have freedom…no longer bound by sin and darkness,” there was much to rejoice over because Jesus set us free indeed. The pastor of Gracepoint church, Jonathan, noted that though our sin is strong, Jesus is stronger - even the seemingly immovable “stones” of our lives, God took care of. However, it is ultimately up to us to respond to the cross and what Jesus has done, as He invites us into new resurrection life with God and following Him.
Once again, Easter gave us so much to be thankful for, especially the truth that even as many of us are deep in the tombs of our sin and problems, Jesus wants to roll away the stones we’re unable to move, whether it be our sin, guilt, regrets, relational conflicts – and He is alive and able to! Through the Resurrection, we can be all the more confident in Jesus’ promises and trust in His words.
Join us next year!
