Commitment and Obligation

As Easter approaches I continue to review the events of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to the resurrection of our Savior on Easter morning I wonder about commitment and obligation. The whole narrative of the last wAs Easter approaches I continue to review the events of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to the resurrection of our Savior on Easter morning I wonder about commitment and obligation. The whole narrative of the last week of Jesus’ life is given to us through the enduring testimony of those who witnessed it and those who heard the testimony of others. The first thing anyone hearing the testimony of a witness has to decide is whether or not they believe it. Then they have to interpret it so they can make sense of it and then they have to decide how to apply it. The testimony about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is written down in the New Testament. Jesus entered Jerusalem in all humility, knowing he was going to die. Knowing his eventual fate caused him great pain and trepidation and yet he walked the way until the inevitable end on the cross. To me this speaks of the ultimate commitment. He didn’t submit to glorify himself but rather to bridge for us the gulf that exists between the creator and the created. He died for us! Did we ask him to? No, we didn’t. Most of us will never ask someone to die for us. We don’t want to accept the responsibility for that. However, whether we ask it of others or not people have will continue to die for us. People have sacrificed so we can enjoy the freedoms and life that we now enjoy. I didn’t ask the founding fathers and mothers to rebel against Great Britain and I didn’t ask my father or any of his contemporaries to serve during WW II. I didn’t ask the police officers and firefighters who responded in NYC on 9/11 to die for others. I have never wanted anyone else to die to keep me safe or to save me. But they have and will continue to and whether I agree with their methods or not I have benefitted from the sacrifices of others. Most importantly I have benefitted in immeasurable ways from the sacrifice that Jesus made. We all have benefitted from his commitment to God and the way. Given Jesus’ commitment do we have any obligation to our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer and if so how do our lives reflect it? D.C. eek of Jesus’ life is given to us through the enduring testimony of those who witnessed it and those who heard the testimony of others. The first thing anyone hearing the testimony of a witness has to decide is whether or not they believe it. Then they have to interpret it so they can make sense of it and then they have to decide how to apply it. The testimony about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is written down in the New Testament. Jesus entered Jerusalem in all humility, knowing he was going to die. Knowing his eventual fate caused him great pain and trepidation and yet he walked the way until the inevitable end on the cross. To me this speaks of the ultimate commitment. He didn’t submit to glorify himself but rather to bridge for us the gulf that exists between the creator and the created. He died for us! Did we ask him to? No, we didn’t. Most of us will never ask someone to die for us. We don’t want to accept the responsibility for that. However, whether we ask it of others or not people have will continue to die for us. People have sacrificed so we can enjoy the freedoms and life that we now enjoy. I didn’t ask the founding fathers and mothers to rebel against Great Britain and I didn’t ask my father or any of his contemporaries to serve during WW II. I didn’t ask the police officers and firefighters who responded in NYC on 9/11 to die for others. I have never wanted anyone else to die to keep me safe or to save me. But they have and will continue to and whether I agree with their methods or not I have benefitted from the sacrifices of others. Most importantly I have benefitted in immeasurable ways from the sacrifice that Jesus made. We all have benefitted from his commitment to God and the way. Given Jesus’ commitment do we have any obligation to our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer and if so how do our lives reflect it? D.C.

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