Resurrection

The very word resurrection demands death. In the upper room with his disciples, John 14 reflects on a conversation between Thomas and Jesus. Jesus painted a word picture of heaven being a place with many mansions. After his engagement, a young Jewish man might tell his bride, his intended, he has to go away to his father’s house where he will have to build, prepare a place for them to live after their wedding. Even he does not know when it will be finished because like any young man anticipating his wedding, he might just throw up a tent and a cot and call it good. But his Father knows it’s not enough until one day he looks at it and tells his son, looks ready, go get her.

Thomas asked him where he was going and how. Jesus told them they already knew where and they already knew how. He was the way, the truth and the life. His inference was heaven and the way required death. 

Jesus’ instructions to his disciples were to deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23). Baptism demonstrates repentance: dying to self and being raised to new life. We are immersed beneath the water of the Word of God (Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1) and Ephesians 5:26), then raised to new life: our Zoe, our Kingdom life, eternal life begins right away. At a future point, we step from this physically oriented life to the spiritual realms of heaven.

Nicodemus (John 3) asked Jesus about salvation and was told he had to be born again not just of water as a human being but of the blood, the life-giving spirit (John 6:63, 2 Corinthians 3:6) which breathes new life into us.

Lazarus embodied the picture, dying, wrapped in grave clothes, placed in the grave four days: long enough for putrification to begin and to stink until Christ spoke resurrection, “Lazarus, come forth”. (John 11:43-44) 

Rev. Michael McMillan used to preach a parable about becoming a living sacrifice, denying ourselves, yet living. He reminded us of Isaac on the altar about to be sacrificed by his father, Abraham. Isaac asked his dad, we have the fire and wood but where is the sacrifice? Abraham replied, the Lord will provide himself a sacrifice (Genesis 22:8 alluding eternally and foremost to Christ on the cross.) As Abraham lifted the knife to slaughter Isaac, the sacrifice, a voice from heaven sounded and in their ears was the sound of a bleating ram. God (Jehovah-jireh) provided himself a ram, a sacrifice. Michael telling the story said, the problem with a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) is it wants to crawl off the altar.” The flesh recoils from death and even Christ in Gethsemane three times asked his father if there were any other way for redemption to be provided to mankind but there was not. Although his flesh recoiled at death, He was empowered by the Holy Spirit of God’s love (Romans 5:5) just as we are to persevere, dying to himself as we must (Romans 8:11). “Nevertheless not my will but thine be done,” he said. (Luke 22:42)

Where are we? Are we living the self-life? Are we dying to ourselves daily? Are we living the life we cannot live ourselves? We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) so our salvation, our redemption, our resurrection is sure.