WHO MISSED EASTER? (2)
Pilate
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that central moment in human history that serves as the foundational doctrine of Christianity. After having truly assumed human nature and submitted to an agonizing and shameful public death, the eternal Son of God was truly raised from the dead in his glorified physical body, no longer subject to decay and death. His resurrection validates his identity as the divine Son of God, demonstrates his irrevocable victory over death and the grave, and secures both the present salvation and future physical resurrection of believers.
Accusations against Jesus
FEAR OF THE LORD A religious expression conveying either devotional piety or the dread of punishment. The term “Lord” in this context refers to Yahweh.
Biblical Relevance
The act of fearing Yahweh is discussed throughout the Old Testament. The concept “fear of the Lord” occurs most prominently in the Old Testament’s Wisdom Literature, where it is described as both the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10) and the responsibility of all humanity (Eccl 12:13).
The “fear of the Lord” motif occurs in three distinct ways in the Old Testament:
1. As an expression of corporate Israelite religion—the religious system of worshiping Yahweh. Occurrences of the phrase “fear of the Lord” in the general sense of religious piety mostly appear in Wisdom texts. In this sense, “fear of the Lord” is an essential component of Israel’s theology (Perdue, Wisdom and Creation, 78–79). It essentially means faith in Yahweh.
2. As a description of personal piety—the act of worshiping and obeying Yahweh. In Deuteronomy 5:29, God declares to Moses His desire that the people would fear Him enough that they would obey His commandments. “Fear” can be expressed as (positive) obedience caused by reverence for Yahweh and/or (negative) obedience caused by the threat of divine punishment (Weinfeld, Deuteronomy 1–11, 325).
3. As an identification of a religious person, i.e., a worshiper of Yahweh. Joseph identifies himself as a God-fearer when he is reunited with his brothers (Gen 42:18). Jonah similarly identifies himself as a God-fearer when he is questioned by the sailors (Jonah 1:9; compare Pss 25:14; 33:18; 34:9).