• Key Redefinitions
• I. The Crucifixion as Teaching Device, Not Sacrifice
• II. The Message of the Crucifixion
• III. The Apostles' Misunderstanding
• IV. Atonement Without Sacrifice
• V. Sacrifice Is Unknown to God
• VI. The Lamb of God Reinterpreted
• VII. Vengeance, Karma, and the Fearful Bible
• VIII. No One Can Die for Anyone
• The Crucifixion as Symbol of Conflict and the Last Useless Journey
• IX. The Crucifixion Cannot Be Shared; the Resurrection Can
• The Resurrection: Establishment of the Atonement
• Resurrection as Mind Reawakening
• The Role of Sharing in Resurrection
• X. You Are Not Asked to Be Crucified
• XI. God Did Not Persecute His Son
• XII. The Atonement Redefined
• XIII. The Real Meaning of Sacrifice
• XIV. Forgiveness, Not Atonement, As I Asked Them to Remember Me
• XV. The Agony in the Garden and the Betrayal
• Holy Week: From Palms to Lilies
• The Psychology of Self-Crucifixion
• The Mechanism of Victimhood
• The Secret of Salvation
• The Miracle as the Means of Atonement
• The Role of Jesus as Leader of the Atonement Plan
• Manifestation of the Holy Spirit
• The Communication Link and Elder Brother
• Accepting Atonement for Oneself
• The Atonement and the End of Time
• Comparison with Historical Atonement Theories
• XVI. Teaching, Not Martyrdom
• Summary
• The Course's Reinterpretation of Easter
• VIII. Holy Week
• IX. Palms and Lilies
• X. Forgiveness as the Easter Gift
• XI. Easter Is the End of Sin, Not Its Cost
• XII. Thorns and Lilies
• XIII. The Song of Easter
• XIV. This Is Your Eastertime
• XV. The Risen Christ, Not the Slain Christ

"The crucifixion did not establish the Atonement; the resurrection did." -- T-3.III.1:2

"I was not punished because you were bad." -- T-3.III.4:5

Key Redefinitions

The Course systematically redefines the core terms of Christian soteriology. Understanding these redefinitions is essential to grasping what follows.

The technical objective of the Atonement is the restoration of the "awareness of everything" to a mind that believes it is lacking. It is a defense of truth, protecting the mind's original perfection from the illusory nightmares of sin and guilt. As the Course puts it: "everything that results in lack of love (which you used to call sin) is the result of inferior learning," and miracles — the expressions of Atonement — are the means of undoing these overlearned patterns.

I. The Crucifixion as Teaching Device, Not Sacrifice

The Course does not deny that the crucifixion happened. But it radically redefines what it meant.

"We have not dwelt upon the crucifixion, because of its fearful connotations. The only emphasis we have laid upon it is that it was not a form of punishment. But we know that nothing can be really explained only in negative terms. There is a positive interpretation of the crucifixion which is wholly devoid of fear, and therefore wholly benign in what it teaches, if it is properly understood. The crucifixion is nothing more than an extreme example. Its value, like the value of any teaching device, lies solely in the kind of learning it facilitates." (T-6.I.5:1-6)

"The real meaning of the crucifixion lies in the apparent intensity of the assault of some of the Sons of God upon a brother. This, of course, is impossible, and must be fully understood as an impossibility. In fact, unless it is fully understood as only that, I cannot serve as a real model for learning." (T-6.I.7:4-6)

"Assault can ultimately be made only on the body. There is little doubt that one body can assault another and can even destroy it. But if destruction itself is impossible, then anything that is destructible cannot be real. Therefore, its destruction does not justify anger." (T-6.I.8:1-4)

II. The Message of the Crucifixion

"The message which the crucifixion was intended to teach was that it is not necessary to perceive any form of assault as persecution, because you cannot be persecuted." (T-6.I.9:1)

"You are free to perceive yourself as persecuted if you choose, but you might remember when you do choose to react that way that I was persecuted as the world judges, and did not share this evaluation for myself. And because I did not share it, I did not strengthen it. I therefore offered you a different interpretation of attack, and one which I do want to share with you." (T-6.I.10:1-3)

"I elected, both for your sake and mine, to demonstrate that the most outrageous assault, as judged by the ego, did not matter. As the world judges these things, but not as God knows them, I was betrayed, abandoned, beaten, torn, and finally killed. It was perfectly clear that this was only because of the projection of others onto me, because I had not harmed anyone and had healed many." (T-6.I.16:1-3)

And the message stated with absolute directness:

"The message of the crucifixion is very simple and perfectly clear: Teach only love, for that is what you are." (T-6.I.20:1-2)

"If you interpret it in any other way, you are using it as a weapon for assault rather than as the call to peace for which it was intended." (T-6.I.20:3)

III. The Apostles' Misunderstanding

The Course states plainly that the Apostles misunderstood and distorted the crucifixion's meaning.

"The Apostles often misunderstood it, and always for the same reason that makes anyone misunderstand anything. Their own imperfect love made them vulnerable to projection, and out of their own fear they spoke of the wrath of God as His retaliatory weapon. They also could not speak of the crucifixion entirely without anger, because their own sense of guilt had made them angry." (T-6.I.20:4-6)

"There are some glaring examples of upside-down thinking in the New Testament, whose whole gospel is only the message of love." (T-6.I.21:1)

"If the Apostles had not felt guilty, they never could have quoted me as saying, 'I come not to bring peace, but a sword.' This is clearly the exact opposite of everything I taught." (T-6.I.21:3-4)

"Nor could they have described my reactions to Judas Iscariot as they did, if they had really understood me. They could not have believed that I could have said, 'Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?' unless they thought I believed in betrayal. The whole message of the crucifixion was simply that I did not." (T-6.I.22:1-3)

"Judas was my brother and a Son of God, as much a part of the Sonship as myself. Was it likely that I would condemn him when I was ready to demonstrate that condemnation is impossible?" (T-6.I.22:5-6)

IV. Atonement Without Sacrifice

This section (T-3.III) is among the most important in the entire Course.

"The crucifixion did not establish the Atonement; the resurrection did. This is a point which many very sincere Christians have misunderstood." (T-3.III.1:2-3)

"If the crucifixion is seen from an upside-down point of view, it certainly does appear as if God permitted and even encouraged one of His Sons to suffer because he was good. Many very devoted ministers preach this every day." (T-3.III.2:1-2)

"This particularly unfortunate interpretation, which actually arose out of the combined projection of a large number of my own would-be followers, has led many people to be bitterly afraid of God. This particularly anti-religious concept happens to enter into many religions, and this is neither by chance nor coincidence." (T-3.III.2:3-4)

"Persecution is a frequent result, justified by the terrible misperception that God Himself persecuted His Own Son on behalf of salvation. The very words are meaningless." (T-3.III.3:4-5)

And then this, spoken with unmistakable directness:

"I was not punished because you were bad. The wholly benign lesson which the Atonement teaches is wholly lost if it is tainted with this kind of distortion in any form." (T-3.III.4:5-6)

V. Sacrifice Is Unknown to God

"Sacrifice is a notion totally unknown to God. It arises solely from fear of the records. This is particularly unfortunate, because frightened people are apt to be vicious. Good teachers never terrorize their students. To terrorize is to attack, and this results in rejection of what the teacher offers." (T-3.III.11:1-5)

"Sacrificing others in any way is a clear-cut violation of God's Own injunction that you should be merciful even as your Father in Heaven is merciful." (T-3.III.11:7)

"I never 'gave of myself' in this inappropriate way, nor would I ever encourage you to do so." (T-3.III.13:3)

VI. The Lamb of God Reinterpreted

"I have been correctly referred to in the Bible as 'the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.' Yet those who represent the lamb as bloodstained -- an all-too-widespread conceptual error -- do not understand the meaning of the symbol. Correctly understood, the symbol is a very simple parable or teaching device, which merely depicts my innocence." (T-3.III.14:1-3)

"The lion and the lamb lying down together refers to the fact that strength and innocence are not in conflict, but naturally live in peace. 'Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God' is another way of saying the same thing. Only the innocent can see God." (T-3.III.14:4-6)

VII. Vengeance, Karma, and the Fearful Bible

The Course reinterprets several biblical passages that have been used to portray God as wrathful and punishing.

"'Vengeance is Mine, sayeth the Lord' is strictly a karmic viewpoint. It is a real misperception of truth, by which you assign your own evil past to God. The 'evil conscience' from the past has nothing to do with God. He did not create it, and He does not maintain it. God does not believe in karmic retribution at all. His divine Mind does not create that way. He does not hold the evil deeds of a person even against himself. Is it likely that He would hold them against me?" (T-3.III.5:1-8)

"'As ye sow, so shall ye reap' merely means that what you believe to be worth cultivating you will cultivate in yourself. Your judgment of what is worthy does make it worthy for you." (T-5.VI.4:1-2)

"'Vengeance is mine saith the Lord' is easily explained if you remember that ideas increase only by being shared. This quotation therefore emphasizes the fact that vengeance cannot be shared. Give it therefore to the Holy Spirit, Who will undo it in you because it does not belong in your mind, which is a part of God." (T-5.VI.5:1-3)

"'I will visit the sins of the fathers unto the third and fourth generation,' as interpreted by the ego, is particularly vicious. Actually, all it really means is that the Holy Spirit in later generations retains the power to interpret correctly what former generations had thought, and thus release their thoughts from the ability to produce fear anywhere in the Sonship." (T-5.VI.6:1, 3)

"'The wicked shall perish' is merely a statement of fact if the word 'perish' is properly understood. Every loveless thought must be undone." (T-5.VI.7:1-2)

VIII. No One Can Die for Anyone

"No one can die for anyone, and death does not atone for sin." (T-19.IV.A.1:8)

"But you can live to show it is not real." (T-19.IV.A.1:9)

"Mine was of no greater value than yours; no better means for the communication of salvation, but not its source." (T-19.IV.A.1:7)

The Crucifixion as Symbol of Conflict and the Last Useless Journey

The crucifixion is described as a "complex of behaviors arising out of clearly opposed thought systems" — the "perfect symbol of conflict" between the ego and the Son of God. The ego's aim is always crucifixion, because it sees the Son of God as guilty and seeks to kill through condemnation. Jesus stepped into this theater of conflict to demonstrate that the ego's ultimate weapon — death — is powerless against the mind that knows its own holiness.

The journey to the cross is called the "last useless journey" or the "last foolish journey" the Sonship need take. Continuing to "cling to the old rugged cross" is a "pathetic error" that re-enacts the separation and validates the ego's belief in suffering. The only message of the crucifixion is that it can be overcome — and until this is accepted, life is wasted in "repetition compulsion," endlessly re-enacting loss of power and the death of the body.

IX. The Crucifixion Cannot Be Shared; the Resurrection Can

"The crucifixion cannot be shared, because it is the symbol of projection. But the resurrection is the symbol of sharing, because the reawakening of every Son of God is necessary to enable the Sonship to know its wholeness. Only this is knowledge." (T-6.I.19:5-7)

"Your resurrection is your reawakening. I am the model for rebirth, but rebirth itself is merely the dawning on your mind of what is already in it. God placed it there Himself, and so it is true forever." (T-6.I.13:1-3)

The Resurrection: Establishment of the Atonement

If the crucifixion is the symbol of projection and the ego's attempt to kill God, the resurrection is the "symbol of sharing" and the true reawakening of the Sonship.

Resurrection as Mind Reawakening

The resurrection was not the return of a physical body as a glorified object. It was the "mind rising from its entombed state." Jesus' body disappeared because he had "no illusion about it." The physical form is a "limit," and since God did not create limits, the body must be an illusion. The disappearance of the body was the "true rolling away of the stone" — demonstrating that "what is understood as nothing must disappear."

The resurrection serves as the model for "rebirth," defined as "the dawning on your mind of what is already in it." It proves that the Son of God is like his Father — immortal and unchanged by any worldly event.

The Role of Sharing in Resurrection

The resurrection is an act of sharing because the reawakening of one mind is necessary to enable the entire Sonship to know its wholeness. "Knowledge" in the Course's sense is only possible when the mind recognizes its oneness with all other minds. The resurrection was the first instance of this "learning as one" being fully realized in a human life.

The author invites the student to "forget your dreams of sin and guilt, and come with me instead to share the resurrection of God's Son." This sharing is a commitment to see the "face of Christ" in every brother, thereby proving that the separation never occurred.

X. You Are Not Asked to Be Crucified

"You are not asked to be crucified, because that was part of my own teaching contribution. You are merely asked to follow my example in the face of much less extreme temptations to misperceive, and not to accept them falsely as justifications for anger." (T-6.I.12:1-2)

"I do not call for martyrs but for teachers." (T-6.I.23:4)

"No one is punished for sins, and the Sons of God are not sinners. Any concept of punishment involves the projection of blame, and reinforces the idea that blame is justified." (T-6.I.24:5-6)

XI. God Did Not Persecute His Son

"The real Christian would have to pause and ask, 'How could this be?' Is it likely that God Himself would be capable of the kind of thinking which His Own words have clearly stated is unworthy of His children?" (T-3.III.2:5-6)

"Can you believe that the Father really thinks this way? It is so essential that all such thinking be dispelled that we must be very sure that nothing of this kind remains in your mind." (T-3.III.4:3-4)

"God Himself is still the God of mercy." (T-2.XIII.2:5)

XII. The Atonement Redefined

The word "Atonement" in the Course means at-one-ment -- the undoing of the belief in separation. It does not mean propitiation, payment for sin, or substitutionary sacrifice.

"The Atonement itself radiates nothing but truth. It therefore epitomizes harmlessness and sheds only blessing. It could not do this if it arose from anything other than perfect innocence. Innocence is wisdom, because it is unaware of evil, which does not exist." (T-3.III.7:5-8)

"The resurrection demonstrated that nothing can destroy truth. Good can withstand any form of evil, because light abolishes all forms of darkness. The Atonement is thus the perfect lesson. It is the final demonstration that all of the other lessons which I taught are true." (T-3.III.8:1-4)

"Nothing can prevail against a Son of God who commends his spirit into the hands of his Father. By doing this, the mind awakens from its sleep and remembers its Creator. All sense of separation disappears." (T-3.III.9:1-3)

XIII. The Real Meaning of Sacrifice

From the Manual for Teachers (M-13):

"Although in truth the term sacrifice is altogether meaningless, it does have meaning in the world." (M-13.1:1)

"The first illusion, which must be displaced before another thought system can take hold, is that it is a sacrifice to give up the things of this world. What could this be but an illusion, since this world itself is nothing more than that?" (M-13.1:6-7)

"Who is the hero to whom all these things belong? Could they mean anything except to a body? Yet a body cannot evaluate." (M-13.2:6-8)

"What is the real meaning of sacrifice? It is the cost of believing in illusions. It is the price that must be paid for the denial of truth." (M-13.5:1-3)

"Does one whose vision has already glimpsed the face of Christ look back with longing on a slaughterhouse?" (M-13.4:4)

XIV. Forgiveness, Not Atonement, As I Asked Them to Remember Me

"I ask for your forgiveness, for if you are guilty, so must I be. And if I surmounted guilt and overcame the world, you were with me." (T-19.IV.A.9:1-2)

"Would you see in me the symbol of guilt or of the end of guilt, remembering that what I signify to you you see within yourself?" (T-19.IV.A.9:3)

"Let me be to you the symbol of the end of guilt, and look upon each other as you would look on me. Forgive me for all the sins you think the Son of God committed. And in the light of your forgiveness, he will remember who he is and forget what never was." (T-19.IV.A.8:5-7)

XV. The Agony in the Garden and the Betrayal

"My brothers slept during the so-called 'agony in the garden,' but I could not be angry at them, because I had learned I could not be abandoned." (T-6.I.14:1)

"Peter swore he would never deny me, but he did so three times. It should be noted that he did offer to defend me with the sword, which I naturally refused, not being at all in need of bodily protection." (T-6.I.14:2-3)

"I am sorry when my brothers do not share my decision to hear (and be) only one Voice, because it weakens them as teachers and learners. Yet I know that they cannot really betray themselves or me, and that it is still on them that I must build my church." (T-6.I.14:4-5)

Holy Week: From Palms to Lilies

Chapter 20 provides a symbolic re-imagining of "Holy Week" as a metaphor for the entire journey of the Son of God — from the "journey into hell" (separation) to the "acceptance of the truth" (resurrection).

The student is warned not to "spend this holy week brooding on the crucifixion," for "a slain Christ has no meaning." The focus should be on the "risen Christ." The transition from the "crown of thorns" to the "lilies" is the core movement of Holy Week: "Offer your brother the gift of lilies, not the crown of thorns; the gift of love and not the 'gift' of fear."

"Easter is the sign of peace, not pain." But the resurrection is not complete for the individual until forgiveness "rests on Christ, along with mine" — meaning the student must extend the same innocence to all brothers.

The Psychology of Self-Crucifixion

The crucifixion is not only an ancient event — it is a present-day psychological phenomenon. Workbook Lesson 196 states explicitly: "It can be but myself I crucify."

The Mechanism of Victimhood

The Course identifies "the picture of crucifixion" (T-27.I) as the ego's primary defense against responsibility. In this picture, the individual sees themselves as an "innocent victim" of another's behavior. By displaying sickness, pain, or suffering, the ego points to a "guilty world" and says, "Look, the knife is in his hand!"

"The body suffers that the mind will fail to see it is the victim of itself." Sickness is a "mask the mind holds up to hide what really suffers." By making the body sick, the mind tries to demonstrate it can be attacked from outside — by germs, age, or malicious people — and uses this "proof of vulnerability" to justify the separation.

The Atonement provides the quiet answer: "My brother, holy Son of God, behold your idle dream, in which this could occur."

The Secret of Salvation

The reinterpretation of the Passion involves a shift from being "victimized by the world" to being the "dreamer of the world." The "secret of salvation" is that "you are author of the dream, and not a figure in the dream." When the individual realizes this, they can choose to dream a different dream — one of forgiveness and light — and "laugh away the tiny, mad idea" of separation.

The Miracle as the Means of Atonement

Miracle Principle 24: "Miracles are part of an interlocking chain of forgiveness which, when completed, is the Atonement."

When a miracle is performed, both the giver and the receiver are "atoning." This collaboration corrects the belief in separate interests. By joining with another through a miracle — an expression of love — the mind demonstrates that it is not alone, undermining the foundation of the separation.

"Miracles correct, or atone, for the faulty perception of lack." The perception of lack is the precursor to the belief in the need for sacrifice. If the mind believes it is incomplete, it will attempt to "take" from others or "sacrifice" itself to bridge the gap. The Atonement provides a "real foundation for sharing" by removing the underlying guilt.

The slogan for this "Great Crusade" of Atonement: "Listen, learn, and do" — listen to the Voice for God, learn to undo the error of separation, and take action to correct the lack of love in the world.

The Role of Jesus as Leader of the Atonement Plan

Jesus defines his status in terms that emphasize equality with the reader. He describes himself as "like you" and notes that "our fundamental equality can be demonstrated only through joint decision." He is not the "only begotten Son of God" in the traditional exclusive sense, but the "elder brother" who was the first to complete his part in the Atonement plan perfectly.

Manifestation of the Holy Spirit

Jesus is described as the "manifestation of the Holy Spirit," whom he "called down upon the earth" after he became completely identified with the Christ — meaning he saw the "face of Christ in all his brothers and remembered God." The man known as Jesus was "an illusion" in the sense that his body appeared to hold his self from the universal Self, as all bodies do. But he became a Savior because he "saw the false without accepting it as true."

The Atonement principle was given to the Holy Spirit long before Jesus set it in motion. Jesus' unique role was to provide the "final demonstration" that it is impossible to kill God's Son. Because he was the first to transcend the body's limitations, all power in Heaven and earth is given him — and he promises to share this power with the student.

The Communication Link and Elder Brother

Jesus acts as a "Communication Link" between God and His separated Sons — "bridging the distance as an elder brother." He is "personally present in every single mind and every single life," offering his completed learning as a guarantee of the student's success: "Would the greatest teacher be unavailable to those who follow him?"

Accepting Atonement for Oneself

The "sole responsibility of the miracle worker is to accept Atonement for himself." This acceptance is the "healing of your own thinking" and the "acceptance of right-mindedness." Lesson 139 provides the mantra: "I will accept Atonement for myself, for I remain as God created me."

Once the student accepts the Atonement, the healing received "automatically extends through you and gives miracles to others." The mind, once cleared of grievances, naturally radiates the love that is its source. The student does not have to "work" to give miracles — only remove the blocks that prevent the extension of love.

The Atonement and the End of Time

The Atonement is a "series of wake-up experiences" that ultimately lead out of time. "Miracles make time and tide wait for all men" and "abolish certain intervals within it." This "celestial speed-up" collapses the time that would otherwise be spent in useless journeys of suffering and guilt.

The "final vision" is the passing of an ancient learning — the lesson that God's Son is guilty. When replaced by the "simple thing salvation teaches" — that God's Son is innocent — the world of terror vanishes. The student is left in the "holy instant," which is "salvation from change" and a return to the "eternal, quiet home of God."

Comparison with Historical Atonement Theories

The critical distinction: historical "moral influence" theories focus on the inspiration of the cross. The Course focuses on the negation of the cross. Jesus did not die to inspire better behavior. He underwent the crucifixion to prove that nothing happened. The victory of the resurrection was the mind's realization that the body is nothing and no attack has ever occurred. This is not moral improvement but ontological correction.

XVI. Teaching, Not Martyrdom

"Many people are outstanding examples of this confusion. They have literally believed for years that teaching is martyrdom. This is because they think that teaching leads to crucifixion rather than to reawakening. The upside-down nature of this association is so obvious that they could only make it because they feel guilty." (T-6.I.24:1-4)

"I am very grateful to the Apostles for their teaching, and fully aware of the extent of their devotion to me. But as you read their teachings, remember that I told them myself that there was much they would understand later, because they were not wholly ready to follow me at the time." (T-6.I.23:1-2)

"I emphasize this only because I do not want you to allow any fear to enter into the thought system toward which I am guiding you." (T-6.I.23:3)

Summary

The crucifixion was a teaching demonstration, not a sacrifice. It demonstrated that the body can be attacked and even destroyed, but the spirit is untouched. God did not demand it, did not will it, and does not require suffering or blood to forgive. The Atonement was established not by the crucifixion but by the resurrection — the demonstration that nothing real can be destroyed. Sacrifice is unknown to God. No one can die for anyone else's sins. The message of the crucifixion is not "I died for you" but "teach only love, for that is what you are."

The full awareness of Atonement is the recognition that the separation never occurred. By identifying with the resurrected elder brother rather than the slain Christ, the student follows the path away from the tomb and into the sunlight of reality.

"The crucifixion is nothing more than an extreme example. Its value, like the value of any teaching device, lies solely in the kind of learning it facilitates."

— T-6.I.5:5-6

"Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God."

— T-In.2:2-4

The Course's Reinterpretation of Easter

VIII. Holy Week

Chapter 20 of the Text opens with a section titled "Holy Week," dictated during the actual Holy Week of 1969.

"This is Palm Sunday, the celebration of victory and the acceptance of the truth. Let us not spend this holy week brooding on the crucifixion of God's Son, but happily in the celebration of his release. For Easter is the sign of peace, not pain. A slain Christ has no meaning. But a risen Christ becomes the symbol of the Son of God's forgiveness upon himself; the sign he looks upon himself as healed and whole." (T-20.I.1:1-5)

IX. Palms and Lilies

"This week begins with palms and ends with lilies, the white and holy sign the Son of God is innocent. Let no dark signs of crucifixion intervene between the journey and its purpose; between the acceptance of the truth and its expression. This week we celebrate eternal life, not death. And we honor the perfect purity of the Son of God, and not his sins." (T-20.I.2:1-4)

"Offer each other the gift of lilies, not the crown of thorns; the gift of love, and not the 'gift' of fear." (T-20.I.3:1)

X. Forgiveness as the Easter Gift

"This Easter I would have the gift of your forgiveness, offered by you to me and returned by me to you. We cannot be united in crucifixion and in death. Nor can the resurrection be complete till your forgiveness rests on Christ, along with mine." (T-20.I.3:4-6)

"I was a stranger and you took me in, not knowing who I was. But for your gift of lilies, you will know." (T-20.I.5:3-4)

XI. Easter Is the End of Sin, Not Its Cost

"Easter is not the celebration of the cost of sin, but of its end. If you see glimpses of the face of Christ behind the veil, looking between the snow-white petals of the lilies you have received and given as your gift, you will behold each other's face and recognize it." (T-20.I.5:1-2)

"The time of Easter is a time of joy, and not of mourning. Look on your risen friend and celebrate his holiness along with me. For Easter is the time of your salvation, along with mine." (T-20.I.5:6-8)

XII. Thorns and Lilies

"Offer him thorns and you are crucified. Offer him lilies and it is yourself you free." (T-20.II.3:8-9)

"I have great need for lilies, for the Son of God has not forgiven me. And can I offer him forgiveness when he offers thorns to me?" (T-20.II.4:1-2)

"Be you his friend for me, that I may be forgiven and you may look upon the Son of God as whole." (T-20.II.4:4)

XIII. The Song of Easter

"The song of Easter is the glad refrain the Son of God was never crucified. Let us lift up our eyes together, not in fear but faith. And there will be no fear in us, for in our vision will be no illusions, only a pathway to the open door of Heaven, the home we share in quietness and where we live in gentleness and peace as one together." (T-20.II.8:8-10)

XIV. This Is Your Eastertime

From the Workbook:

"Now is the light of hope reborn in you, for now you come without defense to learn the part for you within the plan of God." (W-pI.135.26:4)

"This is my Eastertime. And I would keep it holy. I will not defend myself, because the Son of God needs no defense against the truth of his reality." (W-pI.135.27:5-7)

XV. The Risen Christ, Not the Slain Christ

"A slain Christ has no meaning." (T-20.I.1:4)

"It is not Christ that can be crucified." (W-pI.303.2:7)

"Where stood a cross stands now the risen Christ, and ancient scars are healed within His sight." (T-26.IX.7:4)

"He is risen, and you have accepted the cause of his rising as yours." (T-19.IV.D.6:4)