A Jesus Mission

A Reflection on Easter Sunday

From Diana Westfall, Missionary Care Director

“Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last. Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37-38, CSB)

What if that was the end of the story? God took on our flesh, lived our life from infant to grave, and died a human death so that nothing in all creation could separate us from His presence. That’s a pretty incredible story as is, if you pause to consider it long enough. God silenced the power of death that keeps us from Him by His own sacrifice. But if that’s the end of the story, then death – the end of life itself – still champions out that final period.

End of sentence. End of story. End of life.

This story would still leave us a bit unsettled, though. It can be a good life in the presence of God, but everything lost ultimately remains lost. Everything gained is cherished, and every relationship can be relished – up until that final breath.

This wouldn’t be a terrible story. We would still be led by God; see signs and wonders around and through us; bear witness and have access to His answers, His ways, His power. Nevertheless, we’d still be left with an unsatisfied longing in this story.

Honestly, I don’t want the finality of death. I don’t want the things and people I love to meet a true end. I don’t want to end. I could rage against the idea if I sat in it long enough, something like Jesus when Lazarus died (John 11:32-35). We were created in the image of God to be dissatisfied with such an ending, created to long for so much more.

“If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:25, CSB)

What is this story here? He eats and He drinks, but no pain or barrier can touch Him? He knows and remembers every moment spent with us. He bears the markings of the life He lived, but they’ve been healed. This story doesn’t tell of the same life continued after death. Neither is it the wiping away of everything we’ve become to a fresh, clean slate.

This is the restoration of everything good that was lost, bearing witness to all the evil and pain that can never again draw near to us. This sounds too good to be true. In a world where we taste and see death have its way, could we really hope in what sounds like a fairytale?

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.’

Thomas responded to him ‘My Lord and my God!’

Jesus said, ‘Because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’” (John 20:27-29, CSB)

Our God didn’t just succumb to death so that we can know His absurd and confounding love for us. He conquered death so that we can have truly nothing left to fear. We can taste and savor abundant, resurrection life.

The Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near, friends. It is goodness, redemption, and restoration. We can become its citizens and participants now. There is no greater story of triumph than this.

Today, we declare with our praise, with our worship, and with our lives: this story is true, and the author and perfecter of this story is our Lord and our God.

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