Day 47 - Easter Joy!

If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. (Job 14:14 - NIVUK)

As Descartes, the French philosopher said, “I think therefore I am”, I wonder if I might add “and what will I be when I no longer am”? This is a question that Job and most people ask themselves at some point in their lives. Scripture tells us that Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb, where his human body had been laid, was the first fruits of his triumph of Life over Death. When speaking to Martha before he called Lazarus from the tomb Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ (John 11:25-26 - NIVUK)

It is hard looking at our mortal bodies to sometimes think we would even want to hold onto them and, to be honest, we have no actual scientific evidence to confirm this all-important teaching. However, in Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus he indicated that doubt in the supernatural, even if someone were to come back from the other side, is a hurdle for lots of people. Nevertheless, resurrection of the body is as much a part of the offer for followers of Christ as is the ability to rise like a phoenix out of the ashes of our messed-up lives and rebuild them through God's grace in the here and now.

I think some Christians may think or even say quietly that Resurrection stretches belief to the limits in the same way some minds cannot compute a Holy Spirit conception of Jesus for Mary. Bringing such challenging questions for consideration on Easter Sunday morning is as good a time as any for, upon Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, is the foundation upon which our Christian Faith rests.

Let’s hear from someone who was closer in time to the events and whose life was changed dramatically after his encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

(1 Corinthians 15:3-6 & 12-22 - NIVUK)

If I think therefore I am, then on this wonderful day of celebration when we remember that Jesus not only talked the talk but walked the walk of his promise to Martha, then I will be pondering not simply who I am now but what will be in the future.

"I am the Resurrection and The Life: whoever believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this ?"

Elisabeth Sweeney-Smith