Spotlight 17/2021: Resurrection of Jesus; our future
Christian hope is not limited to living as long a life on earth as possible. Christians focus on eternal fellowship with God, which is their future. These are thoughts by District Apostle Helper Robert Nsamba from Zambia on our 2021 motto.
The gospels mention three people who were raised from the dead by Jesus: the young man from Nain; the daughter of Jairus; and Lazarus of Bethany, Jesus’ good friend. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles always intervened to prevent death. Therefore, it can be deduced that these resurrections were truly exceptional events.
These miracles of resurrection were a sign that God had power over death and that He was Lord over life. Although the people who were raised from the dead by Jesus and the Apostles had to eventually die again later, these miracles of raising people from the dead are comforting in view of the resurrection of the dead. For the resurrection through Jesus Christ brings reassurance of eternal life. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11: 25). For Christian hope is not directed towards a long life, but towards eternal fellowship with Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of Jesus gives us some insight of how eternal life could be understood. The resurrection of Jesus was not merely the resuscitation of a dead person but rather the transformation into an immortal body; namely the resurrection body. While the raising of the dead people recorded in the Bible represented a return to an earthly, mortal body, the resurrection of Jesus constituted the transition into an immortal, eternal form of life that knows no death (Revelation 1: 17–18).
This is the resurrection we long to experience on the day of the first resurrection (Romans 6: 8–9). Let us therefore make every effort to prepare for this day and hope that by His grace we may be accepted into experiencing that glorious day.
Photo: Oliver Rütten