The most outrageous claim in the Bible is that Jesus - who had been falsely arrested, tortured and crucified - was resurrected on the third day. For the biblical authors, this moment in time is not simply another amazing miracle; it is the pivot point of history. This event is portrayed as the culmination and completion of all that God had been planning throughout the millennia; to rescue and restore a broken humanity back into relationship with their Creator. All through death..and then resurrection...

It may sound cruel, even barbaric to us. Why did Jesus have to die? Surely God could’ve found another way? What was the point in dying? The point is: we all die. In fact, death is our rightful trajectory and consequence. In the beginning, God made humanity only for life, but we rejected Him, rebelled and railed against Him; the very source of life - and so we die. The wages of sin is death. But it’s not just that we eventually die, it’s that we’re already members of the living dead. We are simply marking time until our eventual demise. Some of us usher in and accelerate our dying through addictions, destructive habits and toxic relationships; drinking eagerly from a poisoned cup. As a collective humanity, our actions bring death to more than ourselves; they cause literal and figurative death to our world and to one another. It is possible to find temporary sanctuaries from the barrage of death, through clean living, through truth and justice and through meaningful loving relationships. But these refuges are seemingly few and far between and never feel enough. And in the end, death still comes.

The Bible’s claim is that Jesus was both God and man. He was born into the same messy world we were. He faced all the challenges and temptations we face, but chose not to rebel against God His Father. Through His life, He blocked death from advancing and encroaching into others’ lives; He miraculously healed the sick, He resurrected others, and He took it upon Himself, with His divine authority, to forgive many for their rebellion and sin against God. So couldn’t that have been enough?

The life that Jesus lived is an example of the life we were made for - a life empowered and blessed by a deep intimacy with God - and God wants us to be able to live that life once again. It wasn’t good enough for us to simply see what we were missing out on; God wants it to be a reality. Jesus couldn’t have simply been a good example to strive after. We cannot manifest His kind of life by willpower and desire alone. We need the same intimacy with God for ourselves to transform us. To be truly alive. And that required His death.

Jesus was a man, so He must die. But as a perfect man, who did not sin or rebel against God the Father, He didn’t deserve to die. The wages of sin are death. Jesus placed Himself in an ideal position to become a substitute for our death, and thereby extend His own life to us. Although He didn’t have to, He chose to, out of love. Being both God and Man, His death could not only set one other free from the curse of sin, but could be infinitely placed on any who accept Him. So the Author of Life suffered death at the hands of His creation, willingly.

If the story ended here, Jesus would appear to be another casualty of our broken world; another victim of death. But on the third day, the tomb was empty. He had risen. This was not just a miracle, but a statement that the power of death had been permanently defeated; that God’s mission was accomplished. That Jesus really was able to be our substitute in our death as well as able to offer us His new resurrection life. When the Spirit of God came on the followers of Jesus at Pentecost, that promise became a reality. Suddenly, each and every person who followed Jesus, was gifted God’s presence. Through this presence of the Spirit, people could finally experience restored relationship and deep intimacy with this life giving, loving God. Now, they were truly empowered to live free from the destructive tendencies of sin. They saw transformation and a new kind of life emerge, both as individuals as well as a collective body of believers - and through them, God began to change the world. These followers of Jesus were no longer the walking dead. Resurrection was happening.

So we have a choice to make: will we die because of our sin, or will we put our sin to death? Will we continue living the life of the walking dead, complete with the bondage to our patterns of death, or will we choose true life, life to the full? Jesus said that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. He also said that if anyone were to follow Him, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. The cross seems like death, but Jesus says it’s the only way to true life. To daily take up our cross means to put Jesus first and above all; He is the source of life. This means we deny every other impulse and desire that leads to death. To live, we deny death and draw near to the Source of Life. We allow Him to be our substitute - not just in the death we deserved, but also to substitute in a new life, that we don’t deserve. God doesn’t expect us to do this alone, by our own strength, because that would be impossible. When we choose Him, He gifts us His Presence, which empowers us, guides us, and encourages us into deeper relationship with Him, the Source of this new Life, transforming us; resurrecting us daily.

So why do we hold onto our sins so dearly? Why is the cup of poison so difficult to pour out? Let us put our death to death, and allow God to resurrect and transform us. Because resurrection can only come after death. Wake up and see the One who offers true life - who made a way through and out, by His death..and resurrection...