The Cross: the way goes on

In the outskirts of Nairobi at Karen, there is a retreat Center called the Resurrection Garden. It is a refreshing place to spend a day in prayer. They have a literal garden where they have inscribed in a sequence the Bible story from Genesis. It rendered in words on stone, pictures on mosaic paintings and bronze castings. The Easter story, Jesus walk down Via Dolorosa that is the Stations of the Cross, crucifixion, the tomb, resurrection and ascension take a prominent place on those tablets. It is a powerful visual preservation of God's relationship with mankind. Towards the end of the sequence, the designers of this garden have inscribed our Lord’s Prayer in as many languages of the world as possible. Alongside them are also many scriptures of comfort, worship and glory to God.

The story of the cross is not over. A new era began on the day of crucifixion and continues to this day. The resurrection was a step in this new era. The Easter morning validated the work of Good Friday, that of reconciling man to God. And now death and decay has no permanent hold on those who believe. As Paul says, “when the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with the immortal, then this saying will be true: death has been swallowed in victory. Where o Death, is your victory, and where, o grave is your sting? Thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1Cor 15: 54-56).

Death could not hold Christ in the grave. We too have received new life through the Lord Jesus. “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). The ascension too is not the end of the story of Easter. The Apostles were looking up intently into the sky when an Angel came to them and asked, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” The apostle’s creed affirms, “he sits at the right hand of God. From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead”.

The end of this present story is what called the Handel’s Messiah, the “Halleluyah Chorus”. That is why I like the interpretation of our Lord’s Prayer into so many languages at the Resurrection Garden. It will be the day when multitudes of humanity that have followed the way of the cross shall all worship God together. “Then I heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousands times ten thousands...in a loud voice they sang “worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise” (Rev 5:11-13). “After this I looked and before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne…crying out in a loud voice ‘salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb” (Rev 7:9-10).

Question is, will you be there, and will your friends, family, and everyone you know be there?