Session 1 Recap and Backdrop for Session 2
In our first session, we saw how the Book of Esther reminds us that we are all born into this world settled with this legacy of spiritual death that we’re completely impotent and unable to do anything to change or to reverse.
In this second session, we’re going to reflect on how the Book of Esther reminds us of Christ Jesus who became a human being like us in every way so that he could fully identify with us in our spiritual impotence.
The Jews Response to Haman’s Plot
In Esther 4:1 – 3, the Jews throughout Persia expressed their helpless impotence to save themselves from Haman’s genocidal plans against them by putting sackcloth and ashes on themselves, and by weeping, by wailing, and by fasting. In this fourth chapter, Mordecai tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth and ashes, and he wailed loudly and bitterly in public trekking all the way to the entrance of the king’s palace. As we see in Esther 4:4 – 8, when Queen Esther was informed of this, she sent her trusted personal assistant whose name was Hathach to Mordecai to find out the reason for his public display of despair.
This is how Esther found out about Haman’s plot to exterminate her people. So, Mordecai then sent to Esther a message for her to act to save the Jews by pleading their case with the King. In verses 9 – 11 of Esther chapter 4, Esther reported back to Mordecai through Hathach that anyone who approached the king without a prior appointment could face instant death. Esther’s concern was very real. Mordecai was asking her to take an enormous risk because at that time and in that place, to upset the king often meant losing your life. Esther must have remembered that the last queen lost her place because the king had considered her to be insubordinate.
Mordecai responds to Esther’s Fears
Mordecai sent back this inspired reply to Esther, Esther 4:13 – 14, “… Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” that is in Esther 4:13 – 14. Mordecai was saying in effect, that if all the Jews were killed, Esther will certainly be found out and killed as well. And if the Jews were not killed, Esther will be considered a traitor by her people.
When Mordecai said to Esther, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” He was reminding Esther that God had placed her on the throne even before the Jews faced this threat of complete destruction so that at this time of danger, she would be there in a position to help. Esther had by now been queen for 4 years yet no one in the royal court knew she was Jewish. Mordecai was asking Esther to take the enormous risk of identifying herself with her people because that was the only way she could help them.
In response to Mordecai’s call, Esther sent this message to him, “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” that is Esther 4:16.
Gospel Glimpses in Esther
So, how do these chapters then relate to the gospel and to us? Well, first like Esther in the King’s palace whom no one recognized as being a Jew, we read in John 1:10 – 11, that when Christ came into the world, though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. Second, in Hebrews 2: 14 – 18, we read that Christ in his incarnation was made in every way like us so that by thus identifying with us, he might become our merciful and faithful high priest in service to God who would make a full atonement for our sins.
In the message Bible, this is what this passage says; “Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Saviour took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death. It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.” That’s Hebrews 2: 14 – 18 in the Message Bible.
Summary
So, we can summarize the main point of our second session by saying that, like Esther who could only help her people if she identified with them – as a Jew, Christ Jesus became a human being like us in every way so that he could fully identify with us since it was only through such complete identification with us that he could would take our place of sin on the cross and die for us as the good news of the Gospel so clearly announces to us. In his real humanity, Christ identifies with you in every way possible whatever you’re going through right now feeling as though God does not know or care, be assured that Christ completely identifies with you and that he can save you.
