So after a 3 1/2 year hiatus on posting, I think I will try to revive this blog. My interests have changed slightly, but I will keep with the cultural, linguistic and theological emphases. I think a fitting time to revive my writing is during the Easter weekend, the ultimate celebration of coming back to life.
In keeping with the theme of resurrection, below are some thoughts that I started musing last summer on the reality of the resurrection:
Can God make good come out of tragedy?
God used the greatest tragedy in the history of man to bring about the greatest triumph. This is found in what we celebrate during Holy Week and the Easter holiday.
First, the greatest tragedy: the death of Jesus on the cross.
The tragedy is that God in human flesh was executed. Jesus, who taught us how to live, who is just and righteous, who loves the meek and downtrodden, on those others considered sinners and healed the sick, brought the death back to life, and above all created and sustains this entire universe. This Jesus, whose very name means 'God saves.' This Jesus was ruthlessly betrayed, mercilessly tortured, and ultimately senselessly executed. His followers all scattered and hid, and when pressed his most vocal disciple denied that he even knew him. It looked like this man who called himself the 'Son of God' and who claimed he 'existed when Abraham lived' was just another man and that his work was just another in a long line of preachers.
But then, the greatest triumph: the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.
After Jesus was put in the grave, his body stayed there. But only until Sunday morning, when he rose again. He walked around and met his followers, showing them the holes in his hands, side, and feet. He knew ultimately that he would come back to life. All of history rests on this fact. Why? His return to life doesn't only prove his divinity and prophetic powers, but it is God’s ultimate triumph over sin and death. Because Jesus died in our place, we do not have to pay the penalty for our sin. So his triumph is a triumph for everyone who believes in him.
So the answer is yes, God can make good come out of tragedy. In fact, the greatest tragedy can be turned into the greatest triumph.
Easter reminds us of our hope, looking backward to the resurrection of Christ and forward to our future resurrection in Christ. Our own tragedies can be used for good, even if we never see how. In these insecure times when we don't know what horrible tragedy will happen next and if it will happen in our backyards or to us ourselves, it is encouraging to know that someone is in control and that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ - not "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword (Rom 8:35)."
Comments
Post a Comment