Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

2010 YEARS ago, the Son of God, started the process of suffering extreme physical pain and humiliation, ending with His crucifixion and death on the cross, to redeem humans from the consequences of sin. God did not have to send His only Son to die for us. His Son did not have to agree to suffer and die for us.

But they both so loved mankind that His Son agreed to suffer and die for us that our broken relationship with God, breached by sin, can be healed. The Passion of Christ starts with His ‘agony in the garden’ where Jesus perspires blood thinking of what He has to go through to fulfill the will of the Father to redeem mankind. Knowing that He is about to be tortured and killed, He asks God the Father, ‘to let this cup pass from me’ if at all possible but ‘Thy will be done.’ He asks his Father if there is an alternative to saving mankind, something else other than His death on the cross, He would prefer the alternative to extreme physical pain and death. Then, His disciple Judas betrays Him to the Roman soldiers with a kiss on the cheek. Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate who offers to release Jesus because he finds him innocent of any crime. The crowd chooses to release the criminal Barabbas and asks Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus. Jesus is then tied to a pillar and they use a whip with stones and metal claws that rip through and pull out pieces of His flesh, ‘the scourging at the pillar.’ Thereafter, they sit Him up and place a crown made of thorns on His head and give Him a staff made of reed, to mock Him as ‘king of the Jews,’ ‘the crowning with thorns.’ He is then made to carry a heavy wooden cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary where He will be crucified on it, "the carrying of the cross.’ He is then nailed to the cross and left there to die, ‘the crucifixion.’

This Holy week, Christians all over the world, take some time off from their busy schedules, to contemplate the Passion of Christ, the Son of the one and only True God, the God of Moses and Israel, who suffered and died for us, so that we can have a chance of going to heaven, and avoid hell. Jesus has said that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can get to the Father, except through Jesus. Thus, even the richest people in the world cannot go to heaven, unless they accept Jesus as their savior. Bill Gates cannot go to heaven even though he gave half of his wealth to charity, unless he accepts Jesus as his savior and redeemer. But the homeless person who has nothing to give to charity gets to go to heaven if he accepts Jesus as his Savior. God does not need your money. He can destroy the entire planet and the entire universe with one spoken word. That is how powerful and almighty He is. Even if you donate one hundred billion dollars to charity, you do not get to go to heaven, unless you accept Jesus as your savior. Even if you provide food, shelter and clothing to all the poor people in the world, you do not get to go to heaven, unless you accept Jesus as your savior. Some readers are atheists, they do not believe that God exists and that hell exists. When they are in hell, they will say this to themselves "I am not burning in hell because hell does not exist."

On Easter Sunday, Christians will be reminded of God’s power of life and death. Jesus resurrected on the third day after His death on the cross. Earlier, He resurrected Lazarus who had been dead for four days. He told his friend Lazarus who was in a tomb and wrapped up like a mummy, to rise and walk again.

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Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Bldg. A-1 Suite 1125 Unit 58, Alhambra, CA 91803.