exchanged living.

Found Advent.

There is something magical about this picture (I didn’t take it, but I have no clue where I found it).  I have a weird liking of graveyards anyway, but this picture is more than that.

Resurrection is a reality. If you do not believe in real bodily resurrection, you cannot call yourself a Christian. Listen to the words of Paul:

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor 15:12-19)

There is no hope if there is no resurrection. If Christ was not raised, we can never hope to be raised with Him some day. These lights become pitiful expressions of misplaced trust if there is no hope even in the grave.

But Christ is risen. Christ was physically raised, and he stands fully human, fully God in the heavens mediating for us now, the pioneer of our faith who has gone before us and will return for us. This is our hope.

Maybe it’s time to re-imagine our concept of hope. Hope is more than a trifling long-shot prayer that something miraculous may happen. Wake up! Something miraculous did happen: A child is born! A Son is given! The reality of the promised Messiah’s birth gives us an anchoring point in the face of all suffering and even the grave. God has begun his redemption. Our hope is not that God may intervene, but that God has intervened, and that we will see the full fruit of his unfolding kingdom in due time.

Christ conquered death by dying. He was raised in power by the Father. And mysteriously, we can participate in this event through faith. This is our anchoring hope, which gives us boldness and confidence even in a graveyard. So hang up lights in the darkest places, for we “who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isa 9:2)