Resurrection Reckoning

We were thinking this morning about the implications of the resurrection, as we saw Jesus prove and stress his physical resurrection from the dead proving beyond doubt that he was the Messiah and the risen Saviour.  Here are some of those implications fleshed out a bit more:

1. Death is defeated.  We live in a society which is afraid of death, that hides it away, that doesn't speak of it that views it as the ultimate injustice.  But Jesus resurrection proves that he has defeated death itself and sin.

2. Death doesn't end our hopes.  We know that death is not the end so we are not terrified of death itself.  We don't live aware of the clock ticking in the background.  It means we can face death differently, we can face terminal illness differently and we can grieve distinctively - without hope as opposed to without it.

3. Living differently now.  The world adopts the mantra Paul describes 'We eat and and drink because tomorrow we die'.  The world pursues experience, relationships, anything it can get its hands on now because death means we won't be able to enjoy to have those things.  So we must cram everything into now, everything else must serve the ultimate aim of enjoying those things while I can.  But Jesus resurrection changes that for the disciple.  Death is not the end just the means of ushering us into our Father's presence, and one day we will enjoy the new physical creation perfected and perfectly in relationship with God.  All the things the world strives so desperately to cram in now we will have all eternity to experience perfectly. 

That liberates us from pursuing those things so single mindedly now.  In liberates us to build the kingdom now rather than pursuing these things the world says we must have or experience before we die.  That has to effect how we spend our money, how we give our time and our effort.  It liberates us to be lavish in kingdom living now.  We no longer spend our money to have the things the world says we must have, our spending goals reflect our kingdom perspective.  The same goes for our time and effort.

4. The physical world is good.  Sometimes we can give the impression that the spiritual is good and the physical bad the physical resurrection utterly repudiates this, Jesus is resurrected physically, his body can be touched and felt and can eat - yet it is transformed so that it is fitted to be in God's presence.  Our future is a physically resurrected body.    In Gen 1 the world God makes reflects his glory and is physical, the future when God recreates is physical and Jesus resurrection is physical.  the physical world is not sinful because it is physical, it is sinful because of sin.  We are to live joyfully for God's glory physically, actively, redeeming the time God has given us and mediating his rule and gospel now as we make Jesus known.