By Richard Nelson

Commonwealth Policy Center

President Trump’s statement on Holy week is causing a stir. He said he and Melania “join in prayer with Christians celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—the living Son of God who conquered death, freed us from sin, and unlocked the gates of Heaven for all of humanity.” This theologically robust statement isn’t the kind of thing Americans have heard from recent presidents, and it contrasts sharply with former President Joe Biden’s statement affirming the Transgender Day of Visibility, which fell on Easter Sunday in 2024.

Critics will argue that Trump didn’t write it, and doesn’t believe it. In either case, he used his position of authority to remind Americans of the historical and theological truths of Easter. But has Trump crossed a line, conflated the roles of church and state, and created a civil religion? Southern Seminary Ethics Professor Andrew Walker said “Given the choice between a robust civil religion that acknowledges Christianity’s central truths and significance in America versus a pagan nationalism that hijacks Easter for transgender visibility, the answer is obvious.”

In all fairness, it’s important to note that Biden also issued an Easter proclamation but both of his proclamations are wildly incongruent. However, the contrast between the 2024 and 2025 presidential proclamations of Easter Sunday is worth unpacking. The idea that gender and sexuality is malleable and self defined to the extent of “transitioning” as something to be celebrated in a presidential proclamation, is a sharp contrast with the Christian truth claim that says that human beings are image bears and made male and female at conception. These are two different ideas of personhood, with two vastly different consequences—both the personal and societal levels.

Christianity teaches that something has gone wrong with humanity. The good news of Easter says that a savior has come to sacrifice himself and rescue us from our sin. Secularism highlighted by last year’s Transgender Day of Visibility says we can save ourselves, and even self-define who we are. One view embraces the need for a savior. The other rejects the idea of a savior. People on both sides need the love and compassion of Jesus.

But did Trump blur the line between church and state? We’ve learned in the past that when State and Church are conflated, it ends poorly for those who disagree with the state in matters of doctrine. State sponsored religion ends up violating conscience and religious freedom. But this is not what is happening here. Trump’s message doesn’t baptize Americans as Christians nor does it make us a Christian nation. American presidents have frequently acknowledged Christian holidays and biblical truth since our founding.

However, history also reveals that Christianity and Judaism is not immune to corruption. Consider the corruption of the religious establishment revealed in Luke 4:16-20. Jesus read the prophecy of Isaiah revealing that he was God’s anointed and everyone was amazed. But by the end of the chapter, the same religious leaders who were praising him, drove him out of the temple, and tried to kill him. So what happened in just a few short verses? Jesus reminded them of their history and how they selectively viewed it. He specifically talked about the prophets and how they ministered to those outside of Israel. This enraged the Pharisees. They didn’t want other nations to be blessed or healed, after all, they were the chosen nation.

Jewish leaders wanted vengeance on their Roman enemies and Israel’s glory restored. They failed to see God’s larger plan to restore all nations. They misunderstood that their sacrificial system was merely a picture of the only sacrifice that could remove sin. As John the Baptist announced “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).

Why was Jesus identified as a lamb? (Not a flattering example of a stout leader).He was the fulfillment of the lamb the Israelites sacrificed during Passover just prior toe fleeing Egypt. The lamb’s blood was put on their doorposts and as a result the angel of death would pass over them. Scripture says that the blood of goats, sheep and rams do not take away sin. It was a grisly reminder of the seriousness of sin. Sacrifice, death, and blood were needed for atonement. The entire sacrificial system was just a picture of a greater sacrifice that was needed. Jesus was the only sacrifice who could satisfy God’s wrath and take upon the sins of the world. He was humanity’s substitutionary atonement.

Now, lest we point fingers at the Pharisees who justified themselves by their rigid adherence to their system, each of us would do well to examine our hearts and ask: what justifies us before God? If we’re honest, we have a strong tendency to justify ourselves. We create religious traditions and rules and convince ourselves so long as we do good works and follow the system, we are in good standing before our Creator. Such self-styled salvation projects are common to all religions.

What sets Jesus apart from all other religions and self-proclaimed messiahs is that where they say that you must work your way to God, Christianity says that God came to earth and did the work for us. There is no room for us to look down on others. There is no room for self righteousness. We are instead called to embrace Christ’s righteousness and to be humbled, which is the path to true joy and peace. Jesus came to save sinners—you and me. And that is the good news of Easter.