Imagine, one of John Lennon’s ultra cool songs from the early ‘70s became a worldwide hit. So powerfully moving were the lyrics of the song that it became an anthem for millions around the globe. Many countries were in a political turmoil leading up to the 1970s.
The Vietnam war was still in full flight with mounting casualties on both sides. Just a few years before, the civil rights movement in America was reeling from the shock and tragic loss of some of the giants of the movement.
People like President John F Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, Reverand Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who pushed for a fairer more equitable world and to be recognised as equals in the land of their birth were assassinated.
John Lennon’s powerful lyrics took a swipe at the US administration at the time for refusing to liberate the Afro-American people from years of living in the political wilderness of racial segregation.
“Imagine” was also a musical masterpiece calling for peace in a pointless war in a faraway place called Vietnam. John Lennon’s message still reverberates around the world today encouraging us about how we might be able to live together in harmony. “you may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one.”
While the song struck a powerful chord with millions, John Lennon’s message spooked the establishment. So much so that it got into the craw of people who despised his world vision. Then, as many activists before him, he was sadly gunned down by a deranged gunman.
Fast forward to 2001 and another group by the name of Mercy Me released a song called “I can only imagine”. But this song, written by the band’s lead singer Bart Millard, had a different message. In the song Bart Millard poses the question of what it would be like to stand before God in Heaven.
“Surrounded by your glory What will my heart feel Will I dance for you Jesus Or in awe of You be still Will I stand in Your presence Or to my knees will I fall Will I sing Hallelujah Will I be able to speak at all I can only imagine”
It became the most played song on many radio stations at the time winning numerous awards. Both “Imagine” songs are songs of hope. Yet, despite the encouragement of the sages throughout the ages, we’re still stuck in a timewarp of humanity’s selfish, selfcentred agendas.
What’s even more sickening is, as you’re reading this, thousands upon thousands of children and people are dying of starvation, war and abuse every single day. Domestic and family violence is running rampant throughout the world and is at an all time high.
Countries and communities are at war with each other for no other reason than power, control and greed. There’s so much aggression and anger on our small planet it beggars belief. Drug lords and drug dealers are on so many street corners selling disease, dysfunction and death to our children.
They’re even in our schools selling drugs like they’re handing out lollipops. But the world casually walks on by without even as much as a second glance at the horrors being perpetrated in our schools, neighbourhoods and workplaces.
Have we become so complacent, uncaring and desensitised that we’re able to dismiss the diabolically destructive consequences of the morbid sickness plaguing our society? And are our law enforcement agencies being hamstrung by red tape and ludicrous laws depriving them of the resources to bring the perpetrators to justice?
Can we somehow settle our differences and become more in tune with the righteousness of our spirit so that we can remove the growing cancers from our midst? I can only imagine what a world without war, hunger, drugs and man-made devastation would look like.
But many are so burdened in just trying to survive they’re feeling real feelings of hopelessness, despair and defeat. Hope is not just a word and a feeling of expectation. Hope is actually a person. Hope came amongst us one beautiful day in a place called Bethlehem.
Hope’s name was Jesus Christ who became a simple carpenter. When He was just 33, Hope was arrested and falsely accused of blasphemy claiming He was the Son of God. Even though He was innocent Hope uttered not a single word of defence or even defiance at the trumped-up charge or the inhumane treatment He received from His captors.
As they beat him to a bloodied pulp while mocking and deriding Him as though He was not even human, Hope’s only crime in the eyes of His bloodthirsty captors was His pure innocence. Despite the excruciating agony He was in, He didn’t cry out once hoping to seek relief and respite from His tormentors.
Jesus endured the suffering and pain because He was on a mission. Like a spiritual warhead carrying His innocent blood, He aimed His death strategically at hell itself.
When His redemptive blood sacrifice exploded it released something that was taken captive a very long time ago. His gruesome death on the Cross at Calvary was mankind’s saving grace. As He hung dying on the Cross, He cried out one final word of hope that still reverberates throughout the cosmos.
It was Jesus’s Mission Statement. “tetelestai,” He shouted. In Hebrew the word tetelestai means, “the sacrifice is accomplished!” In Greek it means, “it is finished” or “paid in full!” Mission accomplished! And then He died. But His death wasn’t by chance.
It was a preordained mission that was prophesied by prophets of the Old Testament. For example, the prophet Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah’s mission hundreds of years before the event.
Even though it was a stirring prophecy, it would mean little to the people of that era because it was for an appointed time in the future. Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was in the Kingdom of Judah.
It was also the place where Israel’s greatest King, David, shepherded sheep in the fields of Bethlehem before his encounter with Goliath. But what’s even more interesting is, Bethlehem means, “House of Bread”. Why? Because Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” and “I am the manna that came down out of heaven.”
Then just before His death in what’s described as the last supper, Jesus broke bread and gave it to His disciples saying, “take, eat; this is My body.” Throughout the Bible, bread carries great literal and symbolic significance.
But just for a moment, let’s journey back to the message of the Prophet Isaiah in 51:6; “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
This remarkable prophecy given by the Prophet Isaiah some 700 years prior to the actual event is awesomely accurate. I can only imagine the overwhelming sadness and utter despair His disciples felt and went through when this stirring prophecy came to pass.
When Jesus was mercilessly nailed to a tree, and as was the custom in Roman times, Jesus’s captors were about to break His legs at the knees. It was so that He would choke and drown in the fluids welling up inside of Him and hurry His death before the start of the Sabbath.
But Jesus was already dead. So the soldiers didn’t break Jesus’s legs as they did to others who were crucified with Him. This happened so that the prophecy of Psalm 34:20 would be fulfilled: “He protects all His bones. Not one will be broken!”
When He died, Jesus’s mangled body was laid in a rich man’s tomb. Then on the third day Jesus rose from the dead having beaten the sting of death, not for Himself but for all of mankind. Jesus had defeated the powers of darkness, setting us free from the flames of eternal death and damnation.
And the most precious gift, borne out of His blood sacrifice to all of humanity is, life everlasting. Only Jesus has the power to bring healing and hope to a battered world. Only Hope can lift us up from the clutches of despair, death, destruction and loneliness.
Only Hope can help settle our differences and guide us on a path to peace, joy and eternal freedom. Each of us has been given free will to decide what it is we wish to choose – life everlasting via the blood sacrifice of the cross or take the chance and suffer eternal loss.
Who is it that gives us this hope? He goes by many names; Bread of Life, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counsellor, Comforter, Yahweh, Elohim, El Shaddai, Messiah, Saviour, Redeemer, King of Kings, Lord, Alpha and Omega, Teacher, Immanuel, Lamb of God, The Word, Chief Cornerstone, Shiloh, Son of Man, I Am, True Vine, Author and Finisher of Our Faith, Master, Christ The Annointed One, Fountain of Living Waters, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, The Bright and Morning Star.
No other human being or prophet in all of human history has ever been given the distinction of being known by these divinely appointed names. Hope’s greatest hope is that the humanity
He came to rescue from eternal damnation will awaken from their slumber, remove the veil of deception and receive the greatest gift ever given to mankind – eternal salvation. And eternal salvation has nothing to do with religion.
Jesus laid down His life for all humanity. As you reflect on Easter imagine how His glorious gift, when unpacked with a simple prayer, will lift your countenance and guide you into His Kingdom of Light so you can enjoy His Divine mercy, grace, forgiveness and blessings forevermore. Imagine.
• COLIN DEOKI is a regular contributor to this newspaper. His opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.
