Resurrection
Resurrection was, is and ever shall be
the pre-eminent act of God
in history and throughout eternity
that distinguished Christ
from all other so-called gods.
Anne Murchison
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" . . . I tell
you the truth,
unless a kernel
of wheat
falls to the ground
and dies,
it remains only
a single seed.
But if it dies,
it produces many seeds."
(John 12:24)
When you hear the word resurrection, what comes to mind? Most of us immediately think of Easter and Jesus Christ raised from the dead. Indeed, resurrection was, is and ever shall be the pre-eminent act of God in history and throughout eternity that distinguished Christ from all other so-called gods.
Jesus said, " . . . I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me
will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die . . . " (John 11:25-26 NIV). In this single statement Jesus revealed the Good News pure and simple.The crucifixion of Christ alone would not have been enough. No, it is also because of His resurrection that those of us who believe in Him will not die but live forever, for by it Jesus conquered death -- not only for Himself but for all who believe in Him. Our physical bodies will die and decay for a time, but our souls and spirits will live forever; and upon the second coming of Christ, even our physical bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our souls and spirits in heaven with Him.
So is this it? Certainly, if there were nothing more than this it would be more than enough. Overwhelmingly so. There is, however, more to resurrection than meets the eye. Because of the subtlety of its effects, resurrection mostly goes unnoticed in our day-to-day lives. It is only over time that we discern its impact in and around us.
My friend Julie has a very rocky marriage. Coming from a tough back- ground, she is angry, needy and demanding. She knows little about how
to be a godly wife—yet. Her husband Charley is a young man who knows
little of how to be a godly husband—yet. They are Christians. They are
very unhappy. Resurrection is their hope.In mentoring Julie, my single most constant counsel to her is to lay everything down—herself and the hopes, dreams and expectations that have been nurtured deep inside her for most of her life, not only those for herself, but for her husband, her marriage and her children as well. Counsel such as this flies in the face of everything foisted upon us by the hedonistic world in which we live.
How do I dare give such counsel if I do not believe in resurrection? I dare not. How do I dare give such counsel if I have not seen resurrection in my own life? I dare not. As I have lain down my own hopes and dreams for myself and those I love, I have seen the power of Christ's resurrection—not just in my life but in their lives as well. One has only to read the book of Acts to see how the power of Christ's resurrection transformed the disciples from self-centered weaklings to men who laid down their lives for the gospel. This is why I can boldly encourage others to die to themselves. We who have a living faith in Jesus Christ experience resurrection at a very personal level in our lives every day. We only need to have our awareness sharpened to see it.
"Am I willing and determined
to hand over my simple naked self
to God?"Oswald Chambers
My character bears little resemblance to the young woman I was when I came to Christ. I was heartbroken and deeply disappointed with life. I was agitated, angry, hysterical, recklessly irresponsible, hopeless, self-centered, immoral, amoral, flighty and committed to nothing but the pursuit of my own comfort and pleasure, which I never found on my own. I am not the same woman today. My character has been transformed by the crucified and resurrected life of Christ within me. As Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20 NIV).
Yes, as I have lain down all that I have desired and cared about on this earth, as surely as a seed planted in fertile soil must grow, resurrection has done the same in me. I no longer fear laying all down at the feet of Jesus. I am certain that resurrection will follow every death in my life.
"So how do I lay down my expectations and dreams?", asked Julie upon first hearing my counsel.
"Do you believe in the resurrection of Christ, Julie?", I asked.
"Well . . . yeah," she replied.
"Is the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ dwelling within you, Julie?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Yes!"
"This is most important," I responded.
"Well," she asked, "what's next then?"
"Well, Julie, let me ask you a question. What happens in the very depths of your soul when you think about laying down all of your hopes, dreams and expectations for yourself, your marriage and your children?"
Eyes big as saucers, Julie responded, "I feel terrified and want to fall on my face and weep buckets of tears."
Looking into her tear-filled eyes, I said to her, "Well, that's exactly what you do, Julie. You grieve the death of those things for as long as it takes, and you pray and trust the Lord to bring resurrection to each and every one of them in His way and His time. Though many of them may look differently than you had dreamed, they will be every bit as gratifying and more."
" . . . I tell you the truth,
unless a kernel of wheat
falls to the ground and dies,
it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds."(John 12:24)
At that moment, Julie was in a puddle of tears. "Julie, Jesus said, ‘ . . . I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me'" (John 12:24-26 NIV).
"Laying everything down, dear Julie, is the only way to experience resurrection in your life. It could take years to see the fuller effects of it, but you will see it. Don't trust me. Trust God's Word. From beginning to end, the promise of resurrection is all over the Bible. Here is one of my favorites."
"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:5-6 NIV).
"Julie, we can sustain no loss that God cannot use in our lives for our best. As Paul wrote, ‘But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 3:7-14 NAS)."
"And, of course, Julie, there is always the great promise of resurrection in Romans 8:29-29. ‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren' (NAS)."
As one who has suffered the loss of many hopes and dreams—the twenty-plus year chronic illness of an adult son for whom I am still caring, the death of a husband and the bankruptcy of his vast estate, the loss of his reputation among many in the community, the near-death of my precious then eight-year-old granddaughter by the vicious attack of two dogs, the grief of her and her family over the death of her first boyfriend at the tender age of sixteen plus all of the smaller but still major events in my life and the lives of those I love—I can promise you that resurrection is real.
Small or gigantic, God has used every disappointment, every hurt and every failure to form more of His image in me. He has healed and restored me in and through my pain. This is resurrection. Easter is here. Easter is now. Resurrection is real. And it is too wondrous for words.
" . . . I tell you the truth,
unless a kernel of wheat
falls to the ground and dies,
it remains only a single seed.
But if it dies, it produces many seeds."(John 12:24)
Resurrection—Where the Rubber Meets the Road(c) 2000 by Anne Murchison Copying this article is not permitted for commercial use.
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