Abundant Life is on the Other Side of Whatever Death You are Facing

It’s Holy Week. The most important week on the Christian calendar. Followers of Jesus will be pondering his final week of life before his crucifixion on Friday and his triumphant resurrection from the dead on Sunday. 

This is it for us—this is the crux of our faith.

We believe a man claiming to be God rose from the dead. We believe history and eye witnesses confirm this reality. We have personally experienced his grace and resurrection power in our own lives. Therefore, he has our full attention, our total allegiance, and our lifelong dependence. 

We serve a resurrection God. He is eternally victorious, overcoming death, darkness, sin, and the grave forever and ever. 

But a resurrection comes only after a death. New life comes only when the first one has ended. In this way, death is a gift. Painful, traumatic, dark, and despairing, to be sure. But also, the beginning. The required seed for new life.

Are you experiencing a death right now? Maybe a scary diagnosis or tremendous physical pain. Maybe unmet dreams and unfulfilled longings—longings that are good and of God, so why do they remain unmet? The failure of a spouse. The betrayal of a friend. The far-off distance of a child. The heavy weight of addiction.

The night Jesus was betrayed he knew his death was imminent. He knew excruciating pain awaited him (literally excruciating means “out of the cross”). And so he prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39). The Son knew the Father’s will was good. He dreaded the suffering, but knew life and light were on the other side. He was willing to die, that you and I might live. 

And in him, you will live. Abundant life is on the other side of whatever death you face now. You and I must only look to the cross to remember how good, kind, and worthy our Savior is. If you are in the throes of death, remember: God’s will is good. Your pain is not in vain. The Father is yet at work. New life is coming.

With Jesus, let’s pray: not as I will, Father, but as you will.

Photo credit: Storyroad Photography