Jesus on the Pages of History

You have no doubt run across the fact that church attendance is down. Over the last several years, fewer Americans are attending houses of worship on a Sunday morning. We can look at several reasons:

Moral and spiritual decline;

Clergy abuse;

The invention of Sunday morning youth sports programs;

The seven-day work week;

Or just plain preference.

But Jake Meador offers a different idea in The Atlantic magazine:

"The defining problem driving people out is ... just how American life works in the 21st century. Contemporary America simply isn’t set up to promote mutuality, care, or common life. Rather, it is designed to maximize individual accomplishment as defined by professional and financial success. Such a system leaves precious little time or energy for forms of community that don’t contribute to one’s own professional life or, as one ages, the professional prospects of one’s children. Workism reigns in America, and because of it, community in America, religious community included, is a math problem that doesn’t add up." ("The Misunderstood Reason Why Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church,” the Atlantic July 29, 2023).

I think Mr. Meador is correct. People are failing to see the beneifit of doing or attending anything that does not contribute to maximizing their individual accomplishments.

In contrast, Christians see the value in community. I would argue that things like the Apostles’ Creed or a church mission statement can be tools to encourage cohesiveness and certainly knowledge of the Christian faith. Some may ask: “Why use the Apostles’ Creed? Isn’t the Bible good enough?”

I would argue for the value of church history and fails to see the value in a concise, abbreviated statement of what the Bible teaches. So, the church needs the Apostles’ Creed, if for no other reason, than a teaching tool that is able to be committed to memory; a statement that Christians have held to for centuries.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary tells us that the Apostles’ Creed is “A statement of Christian belief that is used by Western churches, both Catholic and Protestant. While it is explicitly affirmed only in Western churches, it reflects traditions that were affirmed officially by the entire Church in the Nicene Creed. Although its roots are much earlier, in its present form it dates to about the eighth century.

The Creed is found in its earlier form in the Old Roman Creed, which was in use as early as the second century (Kelly, Creeds, 101). The earliest written form of this creed is found in a letter that Marcellus of Ancyra wrote in Greek to Julius, the bishop of Rome, about AD 341.

We now turn to that portion of the creed that speaks to the passion and resurrection of Jesus.

The Creed tells of Jesus’ intense suffering on our behalf.

I believe in Jesus Christ who

“…suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, He arose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.”

Mentioning Pilate in the creed, puts the life of Jesus on the pages of history. Pilate was the governor of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. He was a cruel man, though hesitated at disposing of Jesus because of his wife Procula’s urging as found in Matthew 27:19 (ESV). She said:

“Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”

Alister McGrath tells us that the fifth century writer Rufinus wrote as follows:

“Those who handed down the Creed showed great wisdom in emphasizing the actual date at which these things happened, so that there might be no chance of any uncertainty or vagueness upsetting the stability of the tradition.” (McGrath, I Believe, 55).

You could say: “so what?” But actually, mentioning Pilate proves a point that is easily overlooked. McGrath states:

“Why is it so important to emphasize this point? Because you and I both live in history. The gospel affirms that God himself entered into that history, in order to meet us and redeem us. God came down to meet us where we are, in time and space. The doctrine of the incarnation tells us that God came down to our level in order to bring us up to his. There is a certain down-to-earth realism about the Christian faith. And this is partly grounded in the fact that God came down to our earth from heaven to meet us and bring us home.” (McGrath, I Believe, 56).

God came to us. Paul wrote the significance of this in Philippians 2:5-8

Philippians 2:5–8 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus was the missionary “par excellence,” as Peter Kuzmic used to say. This is particularly important, as we live in a world that is growing more ignorant of history and faith.

For instance, the BBC reported on a survey conducted several years ago asking: “Was Jesus a real person?” The article reported:

“Many scholars agree that Jesus was a real man, who lived in Galilee more than 2,000 years ago, although many details surrounding his life are still debated. But, the Church of England survey found that four in 10 people did not believe Jesus was a real person, with a quarter of 18 to 34 year olds believing he was a mythical or fictional character.” “Jesus ‘Not a Real Person’ Many Believe,” (found at Jesus 'not a real person' many believe - BBC News, accessed 29 September 2023).

Do not believe the denial of Christ’s epiphany. If you participate in such a denial, there no hope for you. You will drown in your cynicism and unbelief.

Crucified, Dead and Buried

“The Creed also teaches that Jesus was crucified, dead and buried.” To a degree, these terms are redundant. No one, and I mean no one, survived the first term. The Romans made sure that no one survived their method of crucifixion. It was to inflict the most pain in a public setting and so became the most gruesome of execution methods. The person died a slow, agonizing death of asphyxiation. This after being flogged, which alone had a pretty decent kill rate. These three terms to dispel the notion that Jesus did not really die; to diminish the idea that his resurrection was something else.

No, friends, Jesus really did die. It was done out of glory to the Father and for the redemption of all those who would call upon His name. And His death accomplished something that none of us could. Paul explains in Romans Romans 5:6–11 (ESV)

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Without Jesus’ death, there could be no reconciliation with God. Our deaths would mean very little against our sin, for we would have received the just penalty. But because Jesus stood in your place and died as your sinless sacrifice, we are thereby reconciled to God through faith in His Son. And that is a beautiful thing.

Descended into Hell (or Hades)

And then the Creed says: “He descended into hell.” Other versions say: “He descended to the dead,” or “He descended into Hades.

This is probably the most controversial piece of the Creed. No where in Scripture does it say that Jesus descended into hell. It has been said that this portion of the creed was added at a much later date than the other portions.

The Protestant Reformer John Calvin, one of the greatest Bible teachers that the church has seen, said this about this statement in the Creed:

“This means that he was struck by God and that he endured and felt the horrible rigour of God’s judgment, putting himself between God’s anger and ourselves, and satisfying God’s justice on our behalf. He thus suffered and bore the punishment which our unrighteousness deserved, while there was not the slightest trace of sin in him. …he experienced all the expressions of God’s fury and retribution, to the point of being moved to cry out in his anguish, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (John Calvin, Truth for All Time, 75).

God went to the lowest in order to raise us to the highest.

The creed also tells us Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Hence, it says: “On the third day, He arose again from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

As we’ve already seen, Jesus saves us from the wrath to come. And let us not forget that there is a wrath to come. Paul repeats those words in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 ESV

9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

This article speaks of the anticipation of a coming appointment. That we will alll stand before a holy God and the critical point is what place does Jesus Christ have in your life. You may know that most people buried traditionally in cemeteries across America are buried facing East. That is because it is believed that Christ will return, coming from the east. And He will reckon to ever person according to what he/she has done.

The Bible is quite plain in this regard, especially in Hebrews 9:27–28 (ESV)

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

C.S. Lewis said: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

CONCLUSION

We want heaven because Jesus is there.

In one of his books, A.M. Hunter, relates the story of a dying man who asked his Christian doctor to tell him something about the place to which he was going. As the doctor fumbled for a reply, he heard a scratching at the door, and he had his answer. “Do you hear that?” he asked his patient. “It’s my dog. I left him downstairs, but he has grown impatient, and has come up and hears my voice. He has no notion what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here. Isn’t it the same with you? You don’t know what lies beyond the door, but you know that your Master is there.”

One of the things we practice as believers is the Lord’s Supper. We do so in anticipation of doing this in heaven with our Master. In just a moment, we will observe the Lord’s Supper. On this special day, Christians all around the world are partaking of the bread and cup, symbolizing Jesus’ body and blood.