Easter: Judas teaches us to always go back to God for mercy- Joyce Aryee

The Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries has admonished Christians to live above reproach and seek the face of God for mercy when they fail to live right.

Ms Joyce Aryee who was speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show Easter Friday added that Christians are born of God and have the spirit of God in them to be able to reflect the character and personality of Christ.

She was speaking on the back of the Easter festivities, which began on Thursday.

During this season, Christians around the world commemorate Jesus Christ’s Last Supper with his disciples and His crucifixion at the hands of the Romans some 2,000 years ago, at Calvary.

It was at this event that Judas Iscariot, one of his 12 disciples, betrayed him with a kiss to signal the Roman soldiers to arrest him.

But putting the actions of Judas is in perspective, Ms Aryee said Judas was under the mistaken assumption that Christ, as King of the Jews, was going to rule after the order of earthly kings.

“Judas belongs to those who wanted Jesus to be an earthly Messiah --Somebody to fight the Romans and bring physical redemption. He did not realise that Jesus was going to be a lamb of God to be slain,” she told Kojo Yankson, host of the AM Show.

But he was wrong, Ms  Aryee argued that Jesus Christ’s death held much more spiritual significance than being interpreted literally.

“He was a sacrificial lamb and did what all lamps do,” by going to the slaughter to be killed without hindrance.  

According to Ms Aryee, the regrets and subsequent actions of Judas in returning the money he got from betraying his master should teach every Christian the lesson of not remaining in sin but seeking repentance when convicted of it.

“That is why later on he [Judas] said that 'I have betrayed an innocent man' and he took back the 30 pieces of silver. It does not matter what terrible things we do, we can always go back to God and ask to be forgiven,” she said.

 The excuse that to err is human must not be the refrain of the Christian, Ms Aryee pointed out.

"We are not vulnerable and must not pander to sin. We must deliberately take steps to live for Christ. Now we have the power to do what is right.”

According to her, far from espousing that the Christian is infallible, Christians must make a daily effort at living right and with the help of God, it will become much easier with time.

She cited 1 John 2:1 to back her claim.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”