For as long as I can remember, I’ve viewed death as an enemy. As a child, I cried whenever I saw a dead squirrel in the road. I vowed to never again eat deer meat when I saw my dad dress a deer. And I chose to be a nurse to fight against sickness and death, taking a stand for life.
In my church tradition growing up, everything seemed to hinge on Jesus’ death. Salvation was explained as Jesus dying in my place for my sin so I could go to heaven instead of hell. It was a court room with God as an angry judge, me as the guilty plaintiff, and Jesus as the lawyer who stunningly takes my punishment.
It seemed terribly unfair that Jesus was killed because of our failures, but I knew he loved us enough to choose to die. I also knew the end of the story. After three days, He came back to life! His resurrection felt like a happy ending to an otherwise tragic story. Several years later, I began to understand that Jesus’ resurrection is just as powerful and meaningful as His death—and that it is, in fact, a beginning.
Ultimately, Jesus died and returned to life in order to give us life. Life and death, of course, are opposites. What is it about death that makes it so horrifying? Death involves separation, the ripping apart of things that were never meant to be detached. Death tears apart families and friends, leaving a gaping hole where the loved one once stood. It also cleaves the body from the soul. I distinctly remember each time I’ve stared at a lifeless body, knowing deep down that something essential is suddenly and irretrievably gone.
If death involves separation, then life must mean unity and wholeness. The loveliest picture of harmony and true life that I’ve read occurs in the first two chapters of Genesis. God created a perfect world full of everything His creatures needed, and they enjoyed perfect friendships with Him, each other, and all of creation. Life was flourishing and abundant.
But when people believed Satan’s lies, everything shattered. In the midst of tragedy and death, God spoke a promise: A son of woman would come to crush the serpent’s head, ending evil and death forever.
On Easter, we celebrate Jesus’ triumph over sin and its inevitable consequence, death. We live in hope that our separation from God, each other, and creation will end. One day He will make a new heavens and earth, and they will be united (Revelation 21). We will live with God once again. He will wipe away our tears, and death shall be no more. We will love and be loved.
Easter reminds us of our hope: He is making all things good and new again.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive…The last enemy to be destroyed is death. – 1 Cor. 15:22-26
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About Laura: Laura Richie is a wife, homeschooling mom and registered nurse. A missionary kid for several years, Laura confesses she didn’t truly understand her need to be rescued until later in life. Now she delights in sharing the beauty and grace of her Rescuer through her books, The Advent Storybook, The Easter Storybook and the latest release of The Go-and-Tell Storybook. Laura resides in Oklahoma with her husband and four children. For more information or to connect with Richie, visit https://laurarichie.com/.