April 21, 2021
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 ESV
These questions get right at the heart of our Christian faith. Do we believe that Jesus is the resurrected life? Do we believe that even though our present bodies will die and decay that our spirits will continue into eternity and will be present with our Lord? If the answer is yes, then our faith should radically affect how will live here and now. Our fear of death should be waning with each passing year. Our present trials and suffering should be mediated by our hope of a heavenly kingdom where every tear will be wiped away because there is no more sorrow.
Of course, we all struggle to live out these truths. The good news is that because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we now have his Holy Spirit and the community of believers to help us press on in our fallen world, living the resurrected life in him.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling