By Sean Finnegan
Death is our biggest problem. Many of us actively avoid behaviors that will shorten our lives while cultivating habits that are good for us. Others put their hope in scientific breakthroughs to lengthen their lives. Most religions hold out an afterlife to those who do more good deeds than bad ones. But, what does Jesus say?
Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23; Luke 8:12; Mark 4:20; Luke 8:15 Jesus taught about salvation in his parable about the seed and the sower. The good soil, he explained, represents those who hear the message, understand it, accept it, hold it fast, and bear fruit. Thus, the way out of death is not only doing what is right, but also believing the gospel message. The gospel is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead (proving him to be the Messiah), and will return to establish God’s Kingdom on earth.
1 Peter 1:3-5 Believing the good news (gospel) results in being born again to a living hope. We can have confidence in this hope because God raised Jesus from the dead. Resurrection changes everything.
John 19:40-20:18 Jesus died, but Jesus rose again. His moldered remains are not resting in a cool grave somewhere outside of Jerusalem. He is alive. Because he lives, we know that death itself need not be final. Because he lives, we believe we too can live again when he comes to resurrect his followers. Because he lives, we look at our world differently today and seek ways to bring resurrection life into our places of work, homes, and communities.
