our paschal mystery
At the core of our Life in Christ is this Paschal Mystery. Its very name originates in the literal mystery of the "passing over" when, in response to the sight of the blood of dead lambs posted on Hebrew doorposts in Egypt, the angel of death passed over those homes, bringing life in the midst of death, and ultimately setting God's People free from bondage. The mystery continues in the sacrificial rites of the temple, when Pesach animals are presented to God, are "lamed" by death as a sign of the death of the presenter due to sin, and forgiving Life is conveyed by The God of all Mercy in the blood of the dead animal. Supremely, this mystery is Jesus, The Paschal Lamb, lamed for us and for all on the cross, such that whoever looks to His Death as the remedy for their sinful death will find that death will pass over them and new Life will begin now and forever.
We act out this Mystery of Pesach regularly as we gather in worship. In some traditions, worshippers chant "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again", the Mystery which careens across time. In baptisms, as the candidate encounters the water, the baptizer declares, "buried with Christ in baptism, raised to the new life of Glory." And in Holy Communion, we receive tokens of Christ's death on the cross for us, and partake of them in a way that infuses His Life afresh into us.
But then there is the daily Paschal Mystery. The Crucified, Risen, Ascended, and Returning Lord of Glory asks us daily to die to sin and rise to new life. Each time we confess our sins, acknowledging the death which we have brought upon ourselves personally and corporately, we are entering into the Mystery. Instead of condemning us to hell, as He could most justly do, our Paschal Lamb judges our lameness by His Death on the Cross for us, but passes over sin's ultimate penalty, and instead raises us to New Life again by the Power of His Holy Spirit. And as we daily present to Him our prayer requests, often focused on signs of sin and death, He responds with Life and Peace.
This is a great Mystery, friends. Let's enter into our Paschal Mystery more fully this moment, this day, this week, and let's pray and witness to others that they might do the same.