We can all say that we are alive. That’s a claim every person on earth can make. However, to claim that you are alive after being dead for three days – that’s something altogether different. Only Jesus can make such a claim. Yet, what if it weren’t so? What if Jesus never died?
In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah was a powerful and faithful man of God. Perhaps he is best known for defeating the prophets of Baal single-handedly (see 1 Kings 18). Elijah had a long and successful ministry, but as he grew older, it was time for him to pass the mantle to his young protégé, Elisha. After granting Elisha a double-portion of his prophetic spirit, something truly remarkable happened. “Chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2 Kings 2:11) Elijah never tasted death. He went straight from living on earth to being in God’s presence.
This could have been Jesus’ destiny. He was a much greater prophet than Elijah! Being the Word of God, He spoke that which is most true. Not only did He perform great deeds, but He never sinned. He defeated the devil single-handedly. If anyone deserved to skip death and return to the Father, it was Jesus, God’s true Son. While Christ’s later ascension into heaven is a big deal, it would have meant so much less if Jesus hadn’t died first.
What makes Christ’s resurrection truly remarkable is that He laid down His life for us. On the cross, the incarnate God died. Let that sink in… God died. Such a statement is beyond our ability to comprehend. Not the Father or the Spirit, but the Son took on human flesh in order to die.
Now contemplate something even greater: Jesus died for you. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18) On Easter, we celebrate that Jesus is alive! What makes our celebration truly grand is that the Son of God died, and that He died for us.
This year, the month of April represents these two great truths well. The first half of the month takes place in Lent. It includes Holy Week, when we focus on Christ’s passion and crucifixion. After the sorrow of death comes the festival of life! Easter Sunday is on April 17., and we have reason to rejoice. Our Lord, who died for us, is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. By grace through faith in Him, we are forgiven and have eternal life.
I suppose there is a chance that our end on earth might be like Elijah’s. If the Lord returns while we are still alive, we too will enter into God’s presence without ever tasting death. Even if that doesn’t happen, we need not be afraid. Because of Jesus, we too will be able to make this claim: I died, but now I am alive. Thanks be to God!