Outrage of the Ages

By Neil Earle

Some call the events of September 11, 2001 an outrage – and rightly so.

In 1998, in response to the scandals and sleaze of the crude and rude 1990s, former Education Secretary Bill Bennett wrote an essay titled "The Death of Outrage."

Yet each spring millions of Christians pause to remember the greatest outrage of all – the death of Christ on the cross, the time when humankind killed its own Creator. To the guilt-ridden murderers of Jesus of Nazareth, Peter leveled this accusation:

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs – this man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross" (Acts 2:22-23).

There is powerful teaching here. The people of Jerusalem had Jesus blood on their hands, and they knew it!

They had chosen a thief named Barabbas at the traditional Passover season and had rejected the Lord of glory (Matthew 15:6-15)!

They were as guilty as sin – and it was time to face it!

Now here was Peter laying on them the burden of responsibility for the greatest outrage in history. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him" (John 1:10-11).

Jesus was rejected by the very religious teachers who had been anticipating someone like him (Matthew 2:1-6).

He was reviled and crucified by the very people who awaited the promised Redeemer (Luke 24:39-21).

Jesus was tried illegally and in a kangaroo court where his accusers broke their own laws to convict him (Matthew 14:57-59)!

What an outrage – the outrage of the ages!

But that was not the end of the story.

As Peter told the guilt-ridden street crowd of Jerusalem: "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him; God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of the fact" (Acts 2:24-32). Peter's colleague John reinforced this message of dramatic resurrection hope: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

And there, in a nutshell, is the good news of the Gospel.

God so loved this world that he sent Christ to die in atonement for our sins, to relieve us of the burden of guilt we all carry, and to turn to Him in repentance and faith determined to live for Him, to live a changed and transformed life – all made possible by God taking the initiative and we responding as we should.

How about you? Have you responded to God's mighty acts in Christ? Have you been scanning the Internet looking for something more important than even a church to join, looking for a way to be relieved of the heavy guilt of sin we all carry, that weights us all down from time to time (Hebrews 12:1)?

If so, seek no more. Simply phone us here at the Glendora Worldwide Church of God at 626-256-4919 or look for an address at a place nearer you. But above all, do it. Turning to God in repentance and faith is the most important decision in life. The outrage of September 11 drove millions of people closer to their loved ones, to turn to the true values in life if only for a while. But the outrage of the ages should drive us to seek forgiveness and renewed life in Christ that will lead to eternal life.

Peter said it well to those thousands who asked: What shall we do? "Repent," said Peter, "and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).

Don't wait one minute more. Act today!