On several occasions I’ve had the misfortune to see the corruption of yoke and albumen – rotten egg. It was always laced with blood – and entombed with a putrid odor that quelled any appetite for its consumption. Who wants to eat bad egg?
Regrettably, the Easter Season has become the Siamese twin attached by the hip to the Easter bunny and Egg hunt. Fortunate for the Christian though, a successful separation is clearly seen in the pages of Holy Scripture.
But still, there remains an even more lingering year-long issue that goes deeper than the supposed bad egg some wishes to nail onto this Holy Season. You see, for all of man’s existence he has sorted peace, because innately he is not just the evolution of primordial soup – No! Inwardly, man is tugged to the conviction that he’s more, and thus his heart desires peace and a good existence.
On July 28th 1914, led by Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Central Powers sought to overthrow this peace in what we know as the Great War or World War I. They were unsuccessful. Twenty-one years later, having risen through the Nazi ranks – a determined Adolf Hitler, led the German Empire into yet another global conflict – World War II. His quest for world dominance was only haltered after his defeat by allied forces; but not until an estimated seventy to eighty million deaths, of which about six million were Jews who died in the Holocaust.
In the aftermaths; treaties, reparations and other political and economic penalties were imposed to prevent such wars from happening again. Yet today, the sound of wars and rumors of wars drums ever louder. Bayonets and B-24s are replaced by advanced guided missiles and stealth fighter jets. It seems that post WWII deterrents failed in subduing evil and bringing man lasting peace.
Following WWI, under the Palestine Mandate and the Balfour Declaration of 1917, European Jews were allowed to make their way back to their homeland. In 1948 Israel became a nation. Over her short history as a restored nation, she had to fight many battles. In 1967, Israel preemptively struck its Arab neighbors of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The war lasted only six days, giving it its name: The Six-Day War. In 1973, war again broke out between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. It is called the Yom Kippur war because it took place on the Jewish Day of Atonement. In 2006, there was the Israel-Hezbollah war; in 2012 and 2014, the Gaza wars; and on 7th October 2023 a Hamas-led attack killed about 1,200 Israelis, and took about 250 hostages into Gaza; an act which would have stirred up painful memories of their past captivities by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Today, Israel remains at war with Hamas in Gaza, while at the same time is fending off jabs and punches from her Arab neighbors. Clearly, treaties, as well as other political and economic actions have failed in promoting lasting peace. So, why has man failed to learn? Because his problem is not experiential but theological. Because his nature is broken – his experience is also broken.
This can be seen in the history of Israel. Ancient Israel was sent into captivity because of their disobedience. Their problem wasn’t political – they had their king. It wasn’t their economy, they were doing well – Nor was it one of military might, for they had God as their Commander and Chief. Instead, Israel’s problem was spiritual. It was a relationship problem between them and their God! It was broken because of continued sin!
Jesus came to mend that relationship of which Israel portrayed throughout her history of transgression.
Fulfilling his promise to Abraham, God multiplied his descendants, and after bringing them out of Egypt, made them a nation by giving them a constitution or the law. It was meant not only to guide the nation, but was also a way of separating Israel from the other nations. Divided into ritual, moral, civil, and dietary laws – the people broke everyone!
Under the law, the Israelites were ritually clean and forgiven through various offerings and sacrifices.
On Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, the nation made appeasement for their sins through sacrifices. Two animals were presented to the high priest. One was to be sacrificed, and its blood taken into the Holies and sprinkled upon the mercy seat which rested over the ark of the covenant. By this act, the people’s sins were atoned for. The other animal was the scapegoat onto which the sins of the people were ritually transferred. It was then taken far from their dwelling place and released into the wilderness. By these two specific acts, on the Day of Atonement, the sins of the Israelites were covered until the following year. Year after year it was to be performed. It was to be repeated because it was insufficient. While blood was necessary for atoning sin; the blood of animals, offered at the hands of sinful men, could never make clean man’s conscience from sin. The law therefore was only a downpayment!
Entering into his creation, meet Jesus – God incarnate. Scripture tells us that he was always with the Israelites throughout their journey in the wilderness. He was in the burning bush that captivated Moses. He was symbolized in the brazen serpent Moses erected. Symbolized as the Rock from which the Israelites drank water in the wilderness. He was in the fire with the three Hebrew boys. He was symbolized in the ark of the covenant and in its contents; and perhaps most importantly, he is symbolized in the sacrifices of Yom Kippur.
So, over two thousand years ago, on a Friday, which we remember today as Good Friday – Jesus, God’s Son – on a cross atop mount Calvary, became the sacrifice for man’s sin. He was the only man to have kept the law perfectly. As sinless priest and spotless sacrifice, he became man’s ransom. He was both the sacrifice and scapegoat. As sacrifice, his blood was shed and body broken. As scapegoat, he took away the sins of the world as prophesied by John the Baptist: ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’.
The author of the book of Hebrews puts it this way: Chapter 10.
1For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Scripture tells us that Israel will not have lasting peace. It tells us that in a time to come there will be a seven-year treaty, but it would be broken midway. This seemingly will all be orchestrated by the antichrist, and by his demand to be worshipped in Jerusalem, the Jews will understand who he is, and turn to Jesus, the Messiah they’ve been rejecting.
Israel was chosen so that Jesus – God’s Son could come out from her as foretold by scripture. In the last days, Israel again will have a pivotal role in God’s plan.
On Sunday, the church will be remembering and celebrating the Resurrection of this Jewish Rabi – Jesus Christ. Likewise on Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, (as per a blast received on my cellphone) there’ll be an overD.O.S.E at the Kingstown Cruise Terminal. On what I’m not sure – perhaps BAD EGG.
Besides the obvious pun though – bad egg can be seen akin to man’s sinful nature. Luckily, there’s a remedy for that; his name is Jesus. Like that crack egg that has gone bad – so too sin has caused us all to go bad. But this is the glorious message of Easter: REDEMPTION from sin – and RECONCILIATION to God the Father.
This Easter Season, may you find forgiveness, peace, and salvation in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
By Vaunley Browne
