Graham Kendrick’s song ‘Meekness and Majesty‘ looks at the paradoxical nature of Christ, who ‘being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!’ (Phil 2:6-8).
Easter is always the time when the paradox of the divinity and humanity of Christ seems to be especially visible. The King of all Creation kneeling to wash the disciples’ feet, (John 13:1-17) The Creator of the universe nailed to a wooden cross. (Col 1:16-17, Col 2:13-15) The One who could call on His Father and receive help from more than twelve legions of angels willingly submitting to arrest. (Matt 26:52-54) Our minds simply cannot comprehend the level of submission and sacrifice we see.
Scripture tells us that on the day Christ was crucified ‘From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.’ (Matt 27:45) No day seems darker in human history. All hope seemed to be lost. C.S. Lewis re-tells the story in his allegory ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ where chapter 14 is entitled ‘The Triumph of the Witch’ and captures the misery and darkness of the tale well. We do well to pause at this point and grasp the depth of sorrow and the ache of Calvary.
Nonetheless, Good Friday is not the end of the story. Eugene Peterson reminds us “Evil is not inexhaustible. It is not infinite. It is not worthy of a lifetime of attention.” (Eugene Peterson, ‘Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work’, P 124) Even in darkness, light dawns.(Ps 112:4) Rend Collective sing ‘The dark is just a canvas for Your grace and brightness.’ (‘Joy’) In the midst of the bleakness of Easter, in the midst of the sorrow and heartache and bewilderment and confusion that will find their way into all of our lives at some point, there is brightness, hope, light. Christ’s resurrection from the dead, His triumph over death, His ultimate victory remind us that evil is not inexhaustible or infinite. Our God is greater.