Christians have a specific focus on the death of Jesus on the Cross at Calvary which leads us into an unknown world followed by the resurrection which brings hope and assurance.
The bible is replete with the nature and reference to Christ's death on the Cross to save sinners. The story has the Jewish leaders concocting a story that the Roman authorities chose to believe for political considerations that saw Jesus led to his death on the Cross. The issue was a religious-political one whereby Jesus had identified Himself as the 'Ancient of Days' and his life was so exemplary and teaching so Scriptural there was only one political solution – he had to go.
The biblical account reveals his death, the behind the scenes deal done with the Roman authorities to get his body entombed before the Jewish sunset initiating the Sabbath rituals. Peter then tells us in his Epistle that Jesus in his Spirit body went preaching to all those who had already died (in some supernatural manner that covered all the centuries pre-Easter) followed by the resurrection.
C S Lewis in his book Mere Christianity discusses these 'time issues' that God works out of our time zones. He cites the prayer said today for a situation that the the pray-er was unaware had been resolved a month ago, directly affected the outcomes of that situation. What? Yes!
Certainly the grand-father of the evangelist D L Moody prayed "behind the wood shed' every morning for the grandchildren and great great grandchildren of his own children who had not yet grown up. Such prayers in God's time zone are present at the time of their lives.
The Scriptures says that 1000 years to the Lord is as one day. The time concept is out of our reality of time, yet we get a glimpse of the science where time in 'space' has a different dimension. It's considered that should a person be in space for 20 years it would be likened to the Rip van Winkle effect.
Resurrection
This is the revelation of the Cross displayed for the world to witness, where the principalities and powers of this world cringe in the far corner as their time has been called and the emptiness of their position is shown in the light for what it is.
The Christian response to the Cross is this remarkable message that it did not end there, rather there is a new beginning, this good news brings with it a new birth, a second birth, being born again, a spiritual awareness that had been like scales falling off one's mind's eye.
The recognition of the Resurrection sees those scales fall off, like when Saul on the Road to Damascus was met by Jesus and for the first time recognised the real Jesus. Ordinary people get a whole new world view, what was before is stale and old, what is open before them is fresh and exciting.
It is this same resurrection idea when individuals get a fresh start their lives. My wife is an avid viewer of those television medical programs where cases are followed from diagnosis all the way through to a successful operation and this sense of post-operative resurrection. I too have been through this, but not on that scale, once with gall bladder key-hole surgery and another, a mesh umbilical hernia repair.
This resurrection idea likewise applies to those who have come through financial disaster and have found a light to start again with a "fresh start" that has provided a whole new lease of life with very different priorities and the true value of family – it’s a revelation of a resurrection philosophy.
The Resurrection story
The resurrection story is a forever story. It never ends. One generation comes and passes. It is their story. Another generation comes and it belongs to them as well. Those generations yet to come will also own the resurrection story. The resurrection story is timeless.
As it is timeless, so too is it deeply personal, a one-to-one situation of eternal consequence. But, it is not a private story, it is not a story for the secret draw in the dressing table. It is a story that demands to be let free.
This is the reality of the duality of the resurrection story. It is intensely personal with unimaginable supernatural internal joy. It is also a story for broadcast to the utter ends of the earth. What a wonderful word – Resurrection!