He is risen. That is the Christian confession. We worship the triune God. We do so in Spirit and in truth. We do so in resurrection hope. For our God and Father “make[s] springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. From [the Almighty’s] lofty abode [He] water[s] the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of [His] work” (Psalm 104:10-13).
Christians are people of the resurrection. And our resurrection lifestyle shines all the more brightly when everyone around us fears pandemic, tyranny, and death. Why don’t we fear? Because our Father feeds cedar trees with rivers. He gives blue jays a place to nest. He molds the high mountains for the wild goats. He makes the dark so the mice can creep about the forest floor. And He gives resurrection for us, His children.
This resurrection is found in Jesus Christ for He is the resurrection and the life. He is the only Son of the Father. He is the only one yet to have risen never to die again. He is the only righteous man the world has ever known. And so he is the only way to rise from the dead and live in eternal glory—body and soul.
Here we are in Spring again, disease has not stopped God from raising all of nature from winter sleep. Consider the buds, blossoms, and shoots. What causes them to come forth? The same power that brought Lazarus forth from the grave, that power that caused Ezekiel’s dry bones to grow sinews and flesh, that power which dwells in Christians.
God is the one making all things new. He created the world in the beginning and will create a new world one day. He stretched out the present heavens above, and will unfold a new heavens in due time. He formed our first father Adam from the dust, and will raise us from the dust once more. He sent his Son into Mary’s womb. He sent him also to Joseph’s tomb. And we rejoice that he sent our Lord out of that borrowed grave. To God belongs the glory, power, and dominion for he gives and takes away, makes sick and heals, puts down and raises up.
So may the Lord lift up today. As he does we will find ourselves with minds and hearts in the heavenly places, that place where God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We don’t set our hearts there that we might escape the trouble here. We are not afraid to look danger square in the face. We set our minds and hearts there for that is where we really are. For God has raised us up with Christ Jesus and already set us in the heavenly places with him. So we worship, love, eat, procreate, work, sweat, serve and pray with heart and feet firmly planted in two places. We are in the heavenly place and firmly planted on this God’s earth. We live in resurrection power—a power which Yahweh the death-destroyer is already causing to spring forth.
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