Reclaiming Biblical Manhood from the ‘Manosphere’
Rob Pacienza
Easter is the antidote for what ails our country, our world, and our very souls. This is because it gives us vision amidst a culture without clarity. We are not meaningless, evolved accidents randomly drifting through history. We are men and women created intentionally, in the image of our Creator, with an elegant design and a noble purpose. Easter means our faith is not just a religious textbook. Not just a bunch of verses promising hope. Unlike any other religion, we have a living God who promised us He would come to rescue our souls from sin and shame. And then He did come, and Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, making us alive (see 1 Corinthians 15:12-22).
Because of Easter, we can know we have a hope, a purpose, and a God who loves us. While cultural elites have been telling us that our feelings drive our identity, leading to an existential crisis, Easter reminds us that our identity is anchored in the God who is love and was willing to die for us. In a culture that is obsessed with whatever is new and has fostered heart-breaking levels of depression and anxiety, Easter provides real hope, anchored in ancient truths that never change.
This Sunday, millions of Christians around the world will resound with a unified voice, proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many churches will continue the tradition of the Pascal Blessing, which begins with the leader proclaiming, “He is risen!” and the congregation responding in unison, “He is risen indeed, Alleluia!” This Paschal Blessing refers to the Passover (Paschal) Lamb, which foreshadowed Jesus as the Lamb of God. Hebrews 10:4 tells us, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The Passover lamb demonstrated the need for a sacrifice, even though it was limited.
Every time we sinned, we needed a new sacrifice. But in verse 12 of the same chapter we read, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Through Jesus’ sacrifice as the Paschal Lamb, forgiveness was offered once for all of our sins. This is the hope which all Christians cherish.
This ancient practice of the Paschal Blessing ties us to the saints around the world, in all cultures, and through time back to some of the earliest Christians. This ancient tradition has not died out because it is anchored to truth. Each generation is tempted to look elsewhere for hope and meaning, but eventually, they discover that the only lasting hope is in the Gospel.
One of the earliest records we have of the Paschal Blessing appears in the Paschal Sermon of John Chrysostom. Chrysostom was the archbishop of Constantinople from 397-405 AD, and one of the Nicene Fathers (the early church leaders living when the Council of Nicaea took place). This is where the Nicene Creed was formed.
As Americans who believe in Christ, we want our country to uphold our religious freedoms and to promote the life-giving truth which we celebrate at Easter. We are blessed that our religious freedom is secured in our Constitution. From the founding of our country, belief in God and trust in God’s word have been prevalent. Though our country is far from perfect, our hope is in a God who calls us to repentance, to forgiveness, and to pursue justice and peace for all. But we should always remember, there will not be a perfect government or nation until God creates a new heaven and a new earth. We will always be striving to make our country more just, true, and God honoring. Easter is a time to focus on this hope we have in Christ.
Our brothers and sisters in Christ living abroad do not have the same religious freedoms we enjoy. Christians living under communism or Muslim-controlled governments often fear persecution as they seek to live out their faith. Many Christians in China and certain African countries will celebrate Easter in church homes, under the threat of violence. They have the same hope we have, and we look forward to worshiping with them in Heaven, but they are not protected by the same freedoms. Even as we rejoice, we are called to pray for those who are suffering and those who are being persecuted.
America has a responsibility, before God, to uphold and promote that which is true, and good for all people. Only the Christian religion can provide this, because only Christianity calls its followers to love their enemies. Islam does not do this. Marxism is the antithesis of this. Scientology fails miserably, as do so many other modern man-made religions.
America has a responsibility, before God, to uphold and promote that which is true, and good for all people. Only the Christian religion can provide this, because only Christianity calls its followers to love their enemies.
Judaism is the only other faith that has always anticipated the welcoming of the foreigner into its community. In Exodus 12:48-49, the Passover regulations allow for the participation of foreigners who are circumcised, saying, “he shall be as a native of the land.” Only Judaism and Christianity promote this kind of inclusion. Other philosophies and religions may pretend to be inclusive, but they are not. Thus, it is only a Judeo-Christian foundation that can provide the most robust justice and the greatest inclusiveness of any type of civilization.
We should be aware that Easter will always be under attack. Satan will never stop attacking Christians or undermining Christianity until Jesus comes again. It may look different in different countries or eras, but the source is the same. Like the Sons of Issachar, each generation must have discernment for their times (1 Chronicles 12:32). In recent decades we have seen the challenges of modernism and post-modernism, while in more recent years we have seen the attack in the form of transgenderism and related ideologies.
Last year, President Biden marked Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day of Visibility.” While March 31st had been designated to honor the transgender movement since Biden took office, last year it fell on Easter Sunday. This was jarring because it is one of the most important days for Christians, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Though he claims to be a Catholic, he did not seek to protect or keep the Sabbath holy, much less the celebration of Easter holy.
Some Christians have ignored these issues. They claim it doesn’t impact them, but in reality, it was embracing an anti-Christian worldview from the White House. The place that should unify us was celebrating something that deeply divides us, something that is false and dangerous. Transgenderism, just like Marxism or communism, is a direct attack on Biblical principles. In this case, it was attacking the principles regarding gender, marriage, and the family. This was tragic and appalling.
Trump is not a holy man or a theologian, but we should celebrate the actions he takes that promote that which is Godly and good for our country. On Holy Thursday, the President hosted a staff worship service at the White House, where faith advisor Paula White, Rev. Franklin Graham, Pastor Greg Laurie, and Pastor Jentezen Franklin participated in prayer, scripture, service, and communion.
The newly created White House Faith Office was “grateful to share that President Trump will honor and celebrate Holy Week and Easter with the observance it deserves,” stated Jennifer Korn, faith director of the White House Faith Office. This is not going to save our country, or solve our problems, but it is a move in the right direction, and a course correction that honors God, instead of the sexual deviancy of the culture.
We have so much to be thankful for as Christians who live in America. Though our country is imperfect, it has the greatest religious freedom of any country in history. Though we will always have struggles and strife, we know our only hope is in God. Politicians cannot save us. Protestors cannot solve the problems. Only God can bring hope and healing.
This Easter, we look unto the Lamb of God, who sits on the throne. He died for all who will look upon Him, confessing their sins, and placing their faith and trust in Him. His love compels us to love others, even those with whom we have serious disagreements. He promises to guide our steps and to lead us towards peace.
While Easter is being celebrated in the White House this year, it should be lived out joyfully in our houses of worship, our homes, and our public lives all the time.
This is why we seek to bring the light and truth of the Gospel wherever we go. Whether you are a politician, a business owner, a homemaker, or a teacher, you are God’s ambassador. Don’t retreat from the issues of our day. While Easter is being celebrated in the White House this year, it should be lived out joyfully in our houses of worship, our homes, and our public lives all the time.
Step forward, placing your hope in Christ, and ask Jesus how you can be salt and light wherever He calls you to go this week. The Gospel is the most loving, the most truth-upholding, and the most life-giving of all religions or philosophies. Easter is the perfect time to celebrate the amazing God we worship and serve.
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