Mar 1996 - Editorial

by HYLAND, D. T. | Category: Editorial | Mar 1996

Crises in life often bring out qualities in people which may have been suppressed or lain dormant. This was certainly the case with two members of the Sanhedrin at the time of the crucifixion of the Lord Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Joseph was a secret disciple, but he displayed moral courage in approaching Pilate with a request that the body should he delivered to him. Nicodemus, designated the man who came to Jesus under cover of darkness, brought spices to enfold within the sheet. This was in accordance with Jewish custom and an act of devotion, but superfluous so far as the preservation of the body was concerned. Reverently, the body was taken down from the Cross and laid in Joseph's personal, rock-hewn tomb, which he had donated for the purpose. These two men are the subject of this month's article in the series Lives as Lessons.

The first two chapters of Genesis depict man as a sinless being created in the image of God for fellowship with his Creator. The man and his wife were given the freedom of the garden in which they were placed, except that there was one prohibition which involved a loyalty and obedience test. Adam and Eve were endowed with a will which was free either to obey or disobey. Would Adam submit to the will of his Creator or assert his own will in opposition to the will of God? Enticed by the serpent Eve was thoroughly deceived. So began the reign of sin and death in human experience. The first pair realized that they had suffered a breach in their relationship to God through the intrusion of sin in their lives. Some of the effects of the fall are dealt with in the article Sin, its Origin and Outworking.

HYLAND, D. T. | Mar 1996
Editorial