Today marks the day Jesus was arrested. Today marks the day of divine surrender–the day where God in the flesh willingly submitted to His fickle and comparatively weak created ones to rescue us. It is the day where God whispered to us:
“I’ll be broken so you can be whole.”
“I’ll be reviled so you can be redeemed.”
“I’ll be rejected so you can be reconciled.”
“I’ll take on death so you can take on true life.”
“I’ll accept the hatred so you can know God’s love.”
“I’ll be denied by all so you will be accepted by God.”
“I’ll be forsaken by God so you will never ever be.”
Yes, one of the most confounding truths of the Easter narrative is divine surrender. It is where God in Jesus Christ reminds us of His faithful love–a love so great that He would allow His hands to be tied behind His own back by the very ones He will suffer to save.
Jesus’ divine surrender led to His redemptive suffering.
When you and I get it, and I mean really get that Easter comes through divine surrender, our hearts will be taken captive and we will, in turn, surrender. And we will surrender our lives because we will come to believe that He is worthy of all our trust because in this divine surrender and suffering, God did exactly what He said He would do.
“I’ll surrender to death on a cross so that you can be rescued from death because of your sin. Then I’ll be resurrected three days later so that you can know that the Father is faithful to His word: redemption and restoration has come to you.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
About Fred
Fred came to serve greater Williamsburg and WCC as lead pastor in October of 2010 and is grateful to be a part of the family. He is a husband, father, certified trauma professional, S.T.A.R. (strategies for trauma awareness & resilience) practitioner, community organizer, TEDx alum, founder of 3e Restoration, Inc. and co-owner of Philoxenia Culture LLC. He received his B.S. in Ministry/Bible at Amridge University and his Master’s of Religious Education in Missional Leadership from Rochester University. Currently he is a candidate for a Doctorate of Ministry in Contextual Theology in at Northern Seminary in Chicago. Fred has also served as an adjunct professor for Rochester University and Regent University where taught courses in philosophy, ethics, leadership, pastoral care, intro to Christianity, and ethnography. He has also served as a guest lecturer on the subjects of racialized cultural systems, poverty, and missiology at various universities, such as William & Mary and Oklahoma Christian University. Fred has authored on book (Racialized Cultural Systems, Social Displacement and Christian Hospitality) and several curriculum offerings, including The FloorPlan: Living Toward Restoration & Resilience.
Fred enjoys hanging out with his family anytime, anywhere. He is deeply grateful for how God graciously works through the Church in all her various forms, despite our brokenness. He is passionate about seeing the last, least, and lonely of every neighborhood, city and nation experience God’s in-breaking kingdom, and come to know Jesus as King. Oh, and his favorite season is Advent and Christmas.
Fred is a founding member of the board of directors for Virginia Racial Healing Institute, a member of the leadership team for Williamsburg's local chapter of Coming to the Table, and a member of Greater Williamsburg Trauma-Informed Community Network's Racial Trauma Committee and Training Committee.
Long Way Here 