That Glorious Overcoming!

We all love come-back stories!  You know stories of persons who appear done, defeated, only to rise again! 

One of my favorite come-back stories is the story of Harry Truman.  Why from the outset Truman was an unlikely politician, becoming a senator, Vice-President, and President, after a career as a farmer and men’s clothing salesman.   Well for a while, things went fine, but then the election of 1948 occurred and Truman seemed doomed.  Why not only was his public approval rating only 36%, newspapers persistently declared Truman ‘the loser’ and Thomas Dewey ‘the winner,’ throughout the election and beyond.  Why the Chicago Tribune even headlined the day after the election:  ‘Dewey Defeats Truman.’  But in reality: Truman had defeated Dewey, racking up a whopping 303 electoral votes, compared to Dewey’s measly 189 electoral votes.  And so in the end Truman ‘had the last laugh,’ boldly declaring the news, that in spite of erroneous reports, in spite of negative assumptions, he was the victor yet!

As we enter the Easter story, Jesus is boldly declaring the news that He is the victor yet.  You see early on, the Easter story is filled with erroneous reports and negative assumptions. Why initially the headline is not ‘Jesus Defeats Death’ – but ‘Death Defeats Jesus.’   And so initially the focus is on death.  Why in Mark 16, Mary Madeleine and the other women focus on searching for a dead body and anointing a dead savior (Mark 16:1-1).  And in John 20, Thomas and the other disciples focus on grieving a dead cause and huddling behind dead-locked doors (John 20:19).   But then the true headline breaks forth, and everything changes. Why death has not won, Jesus has won; death has not gotten the last word, Jesus has gotten the last word.  Why a come-back has occurred:  Jesus has risen; thus to quote Jesus in Matthew 28:  “Do not be afraid…” (Matthew 28:10).

Where are you afraid?  Where are you convinced death or some other negative reality will have the last word?  Easter declares Jesus will have the last word, lifting up the only true headline:  Jesus is the victor yet.  

           

Jesus says it best in John 16:  “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33).  Translated:  I have defeated, thwarted, conquered, done-in, superseded, traversed, any earthy reality that tries to bury life.

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised…Jesus from the dead will also give [you] life…” (Romans 8:11, ESV) raising you up, as well.   

And so don’t let any earthy reality bury life.  Rise -- rise with Jesus!  Participate in Easter, “…that glorious overcoming…” – that allows us to transverse anything that tries to keep us down.  For Paul is right”  “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised...Jesus from the dead will also give [you] life..."  (Romans 8:11, ESV) raising you up as well.

Isn’t that incredible: the same Spirit who raised Jesus at Easter, will raise us at Easter – lifting us beyond all that burdens and buries life.  But we must let that Spirit, Resurrection Spirit – dwell in us, take root in us.

Let Resurrection Spirit -- dwell in you, and take root!