Does the resurrection still matter two weeks after Easter? You bet. Read on.
I heard an illustration in a sermon once that went like this: A large bald eagle spotted an otter struggling to cross an ice-clogged river. The eagle, sensing an easy meal, plunged downward and sank his talons into the struggling creature. What the eagle could not know is that the otter itself was nearly dead, frozen to a large chunk of ice. The eagle was strong, but not strong enough to lift both the otter and the ice. The story concludes with the eagle plummeting to its death over a raging waterfall all because it wouldn’t let go of its prey. I don’t remember what the preacher’s application was, but the story stuck as stories always do.
Today I was reading and praying through I John 2: 12-17 and came across this:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.
I John 2: 12-17 NRSV
When I read, “…and the world and its desire are passing away…” I remembered the story above.
There’s a powerful truth here. When we talk about sin (we do still talk about sin, right?) and we talk about avoiding it, we can often simply describe sin as something God opposes. A more complete picture, however, might be that God doesn’t name something a sin simply to set up arbitrary boundaries or ruin our fun. Sin is a result of The Fall of humanity. The rebellion of creature against Creator set in motion a world groaning for redemption. Sin is a part of a now broken world that is spiraling downward. When we sin or align ourselves with sin, we are like the eagle in the story above. We have attached ourselves to a system that is broken. As that sin-marred world is eventually defeated, all sin and those determined to hold onto sin will be defeated with it. What a dark reality.
Praise God that in Christ Jesus there is a better way. Jesus is life and forgiveness and healing and hope. Jesus’ resurrection signals that the eventual New Creation has broken into time and space right now! We can let go of sin and all its entanglements through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection and can begin living like new creations today! And what is begun now will be brought to completion one day when Jesus returns. Hallelujah! John said it succinctly, “…but those who do the will of God will live forever.”
Resurrection power mediated through the grace of God offers us forgiveness and the power to live free from sin. We needn’t cling to the dying counterfeits offered by our broken culture. We have real life now and forever when we grab hold of Jesus and refuse to let go. Let’s choose and proclaim the life and hope that the resurrection provides.
A huge “Thank You” to everyone who attended our District Assembly and helped to make it such a blessing. I’m honored to serve the SCO family. Let’s give ourselves now to the work that one year from now will make our assembly celebration even better!
