While City Church was getting ready to celebrate in Davies Symphony Hall, I was gathered outdoors on a sunny day with a group of young Chinese Christians. Our celebration was a bit less glamorous. We worshipped on acoustic guitar and ordered pizzas for brunch. But even so, our Easter celebration was a profound event. We were humble participants in the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection with Christians throughout the world.
This caused me to reflect on the Easter season and why Christians celebrate. I began to wonder why resurrection, bringing new life to that which was dead, is such a pivotal theme of our Christian narrative.
Why resurrection? In this Easter season, City Church has been reflecting on resurrection stories throughout the Bible. This past week, Fred and Matt spoke on the story of the widow’s son and posed the question of whether we are going to lead a life that is founded on the vision of death or a vision of resurrection.
In the narratives of resurrection in the Bible, death is always part of the story. We have all experienced death and loss first hand in our own lives. Death of a relationship, death of a loved one, death of a dream, death of a community. God allows things to die. We cannot put our ultimate hope in being spared from death. Instead, we must recognize that even in the midst of death, our story continues.
When we examine the dead things in our lives, are we viewing them through a lens of death or of resurrection? The lens of death is final, stagnant and hopeless. Whereas death is an end, resurrection is a continuation. Resurrection is hopeful. Are we too short sighted that we stop at death and lose our hope?
Through this lens of resurrection, we start to see hope where hopelessness once abounded. Through this lens, we begin to envision the bigger story that God is slowly unfolding before us.
Although the full redemption of God’s creation has not come yet, we can still see glimmers of resurrection in our lives. Relationships that were once broken being restored. Communities that were once torn apart, being reunited. Peace where there was once hatred and dissension.
God has the power to resurrect that which is dead. Jesus' resurrection means that we have new hope for the dead things in our lives.