Bhubaneswar (Written by Manna JM): The most accepted world-wide calendar (BC & AD) is based on Jesus’ birth and therefore, its certainly not wrong to set our focus on “Good Friday”, Jesus’ crucifixion day. Its called “Good Friday” considering the heart-warming truths implied behind the ‘sacrifice’!
This historical event of “Good Friday”, dates back to 33AD. It was the year that Christ Jesus was crucified by the Roman empire, prompted by the Jewish community.
The first confusion had started here! The Scriptures confirm (John 1:1-13), that the Jews were eagerly waiting for a Messiah but when He did come they were unable to recognize Him nor accept Him; for it didn’t correlate with their traditional mind-set or human comprehension!
The life, the claims, the teachings, the deeds, the death, the resurrection & ascension of Jesus couldn’t really influence a cent percent of people in knowing Jesus as the Christ or Messiah! Though a few could identify Him as to who He really was, till date, some prefer to be neutral and quite a many prefer to reject Him!
Good Friday, as a D-day, didn’t just occur but was something that was foretold even before Jesus’ birth and later reminded by Jesus Himself to His disciples quite often. It seemed to be the most dreadful day for Jesus Himself that in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayerfully yearned for an alternative means by which “Salvation” may be imparted to mankind. However, as His main mission was to be an ‘atoning substitutionary sacrifice’ for the sins of mankind, he had to ultimately deny His own “will” & yield Himself humbly to the whole process ahead of Him!
Following this historic event of both Good Friday & the resurrection-Sunday (Easter), the followers of Jesus went far & wide, to be a light; a salt; a witness; & a herald., that all may know the implications behind “Good Friday”. They were not part of a religion, nor promote a religion, for Jesus had not come to initiate a religion & had only given a call to either ‘believe Him’ or ‘Follow Him’.
The truths of Jesus first came to India around 52AD through Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He preached in Kerala & got martyred in Madras (enshrined in “Mount Thomas”).
It was just that the life & deeds of the disciples reflected Christ so significantly in them, that they got to be known as “Christ-ians”. This is where the next confusion started to prevail! Down the generations that followed, the wrong concept of “Christianity” being a “religion” started to take root.
In reality, not all born into a family of the so-called religion ‘Christianity’, do deliberately follow Jesus or His teachings strictly. A majority of them are either nominal, secular or self-seeking. It is quite a minority, irrespective of their religious or regional background that take Jesus’ mission of enabling the world to know the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, directly or indirectly. Those receptive can be of Christianity or any background!
According to the Biblical teachings, those who really accept Jesus get into the new status of being ‘born-again’ or become “God’s children”. They are not really converting to another religion or Christianity! This absolutely doesn’t really demand a change in culture, name, religion, custom, food habits, dressing or any such external matters.
One’s personal faith has eternal consequences and shouldn’t actually be a source of threat to anyone politically, religiously, traditionally or geographically! It is really sad that based on one’s faith., bitterness, communal hatred, hostility, etc., creep up, affecting one’s patriotism & national integrity, yes, tragically affecting a harmonious coexistence!
