The Resurrection, It Just Makes Sense

[HKHaugan]

The Resurrection, It Just Makes Sense

 The Resurrection is the one event in all Creation, in all the universe, in all human historic experience, that changes the way the human mind can find not only identity but find the heart, the passion, to live in a way no other person has ever lived. When Jesus died, He died like any other human being does, alone, all bodily systems and human connections ceasing. But He rose from the dead, first appearing to Mary of Magdala, met with His disciples, allowing one of them to touch His wounds to show He had risen, ate a lakeside breakfast with them, taught how all Scripture pointed to Him to two men on the road to Emmaus, was seen by over 500 and let a sworn enemy named Saul experience His presence on a road to Damascus.

 It is the Resurrection of Jesus that canceled the ultimate fear all people have, that of dying for no reason, having had no productive purpose, significance or justification for who and what they were, simply names engraved with forgotten remains lying in some field somewhere. Knowing the risen Jesus changes all that. Risen, He makes His life the conscious reality to begin spiritually reordering how every human being thinks about who they are and the kind of potential they have to be a someone with purpose and significance. The world neither cares for nor gives anyone any eternal significance. Jesus does. Every person everywhere is both significant and cared for by Him. Not only that but our life, the breathing, feeling and personally individually aware life, is relational and meant to be relational.  Life begins with being relational with Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. What we learn from being relational with Him is what we apply to how we interact with others. That’s eternal.

 Just as Jesus was relational, the how-He-did-it, was unique and purposely so. It changed how we see relationships. They weren’t designed for fitting in, constantly compromising ourselves, to a loveless culture but to an eternal loving God. When He rose from the dead, death died, hopelessness died, aloneness died, insignificance died, having no purpose died. What rose was our creation as persons fulfilled. That is, we were given faith, love, hope and personal confidence and a mission to be what an individual moved by the living Jesus does.   It’s that sense of lasting purpose that gives us a unique identity not only in this world but in the spiritual kingdom of God from which everything came. His life is the unique, one-of-a-kind life that shows each one of us is born to live our personal unique one-of-a-kind life that, like His, will never be repeated but lasts forever. We were made to live forever as unique productive children of God.

 His Resurrection is the promise fulfilled. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:28-30).”

 Like Him we are given every-next-moment choices to exercise our spiritual uniqueness in new and creative ways because Jesus was unique, creative, personal, relational and loving in the process. The spiritually born-again life is a relational process of faith embracing the moment-by-moment intimacy God has for us. His presence is our guide and our motivation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2Cor.5:17).”