What is Christianity? Peter's sermon on the 'birthday' of the Church - easter reflection

Christianity is usually thought of as the world's largest religion, focussing on Jesus. Christians will sometimes dispute the term 'religion' but it certainly emphasises the person, deeds and teaching of Jesus - particularly his life, death, resurrection, ascension and promised return as both fully God and fully human. Christianity understands Jesus to have come to earth from heaven in order to save people from their sin and its consequences. This includes acts of wrongdoing and the more permanent state of wrongdoing, which has spiritual and physical dimensions.

Jesus provides for the removal of the root cause of problems on earth - our estrangement from God - by removing the guilt and separation which human wrongdoing deserves. Death is an inevitable part of life now but fear of judgement after death can be removed. Christians are able to live differently now as friends of God, with a bright future, changed internally by his Spirit. This gives inner peace now and a promise of everlasting life, both before and after death. There is also the promise of a renewed future world, which God will remake, where everyone that trusts in Jesus will live.

This can be expressed as making atonement between people and God, with Jesus being the only one who could bridge the gap between sinful people and a Holy God because he was both fully God and fully human and willing to undergo the penalty himself.

This post will look at the words of Peter the Apostle - a key early church figure - which are recorded in the Bible in a section called Acts 2 to explain to people what had happened.

Peter is speaking to a Jewish audience and uses words they are familiar with which look forward to a day when God will be closer to people - with them by his Spirit.

Peter declares these old words as current affairs however! He tells people not only that God's Spirit has been poured out but that this is linked to Jesus.

Most people today are aware of the idea of God, but for Jews there was just one God (Lord) who was their nations God - having particular promises and a history of relationship with them (though he was the one God of the whole universe).

Peter quotes from an old prophet called Joel that 'everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'. This is a wide promise but Peter doesn't leave it vague - instead he insists upon the importance of Jesus.

Peter insists that Jesus was a definite, flesh and blood human that they knew of from Nazareth, and that God showed he was with him because of the miracles he could do.

Strangely, Peter also insists that Jesus dying a humiliating and agonising death by crucifixion like a criminal was God's plan too. Christians often understand this as Jesus dying like a criminal in the place of others. The punishment he recieved (willingly) was what other people deserve, and this was an act of love and mercy from God (and Jesus is both fully God and fully human).

But that wasn't the end of the story! Jesus was able to come back to life afterwards. His death was only for others - like paying a cosmic or spiritual debt which he did not owe personally but we did. After doing that, He came back to life - because he did not deserve to die for anything he had done wrong, and he was himself the author of life - the creator God.

Though this idea of willing peace making and reconciliation between God and people applies to humanity, and is recorded as 'good news' in the Bible, we also see in Peters explanation that it requires an individual response to be effective for us personally.

Peter's hearers are emotionally impacted by the idea that they killed Jesus, and ask 'what shall we do?':

That is an excellent question! And we are each separately encouraged to respond to what Jesus did historically. Remember - he did it for us. We are told that what Jesus did was for us individually - the forgiveness of your sins. We are told that God will include us with his Spirit. We are reassured that the promise extends through the generations (children, and those far off).

Being included in what Jesus did includes us in both his death and his permanent life. It provides not just a subjective feeling of forgiveness and peace of mind today (though that is important) but also an objective, real, lasting forgiveness with God - atonement or at-one-ment. Being at one with God means to never be finally separated from him. Though Christians still die (Jesus also died) they do not die a death at war with God. They will one day come back to life, just as Jesus did, to live the everlasting life which Jesus made possible and the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of God - also includes us in.

This promise, this good news, is still true today. It is why the church at Landbeach, and across the world, exists. This writer has felt and continues to know the forgiveness of God empowering his life. It is for you too, and all who turn towards this God (repent) and trust the death and resurrection of Jesus (which baptism symbolises) as the good news.

Some practical steps for how to follow Jesus are included in the page here.

Good Friday celebrates the death aspect - good for the humans who benefit from Jesus' sacrifice. Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus' resurrection. Could you join us when we celebrate this?