Dying Lives
We don't often think of Jesus as a destroyer, but that is how Paul describes him.
Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. - 1 Corinthians 15:24-26
It is Easter Sunday, the day we discover that Jesus has risen from the dead and in doing so has conquered death.
What does it mean, than, when Paul tells us that the last enemy to be destroyed is death? He says this will happen when the Kingdom is handed over to the Father.
It can be a bit confusing, if we believe death is already conquered, as evidenced by the resurrection.
According to one commentary I read, the enemy he is talking about is corporal death, the dying of all things here on earth. In this new kingdom, nothing will die.
That is different from the belief in the afterlife, a life after death. We just won't die at all.
The first thought is how great that would be, but it is so odd, so different from what we know, it is hard to imagine.
With all enemies destroyed, would we be back in the garden, back at the beginning, living as Adam and Eve did?
The symbolism of the lamb and lion together, living peacefully, not as prey and predator, is a hard one to grasp. It just isn't realistic, and maybe that is the point.
Our reality is to blame for our failure to believe.
What we see denies what we hear from God, and so we shake our heads and go on with our dying lives.
When we come to the realization that all we know is false, that this world is capable of being something even more amazing than it is, then we will begin to understand what destroying death is all about.
But until then, we will celebrate Easter with parades and egg hunts and wear pretty clothes and smile at one another, and we will miss the point.
Today, everything has changed before our eyes and new hope is truly visible. We can see it as a sign of a new beginning, or we can return to the reality of dying lives. The choice is ours.
What does it all mean?
There is something better within reach. All we need to do is grasp it, and what will be will be greater than anything we can imagine. That's how I see it.
What do you see?
More to come...