“Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ!” ~Ephesians 2:4-5

Some of us are still buried in a tomb. We’re dead. Or, at least we act like we’re dead. Most of us have followed Jesus to Jerusalem, deciding to die to ourselves, willing to die with Christ. We’ve followed Jesus to the garden and suffered, walking through the valley of the shadow of death, faithfully enduring pain and grief. We’ve followed Jesus step by step to the cross, exposing ourselves to ridicule and shame, sacrificing ourselves for the benefit of others.

A lot of us, though, have never followed Jesus out of the grave.

Even though we’ve been baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, even though we’ve received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit living inside us, a lot of us have never been resurrected. A lot of us don’t live like we’ve been given the gift of eternal life by the Almighty Author of Life. We live like we’re still dead.

We don’t sing. We don’t work. We don’t explore or experiment. We don’t accept challenges or tackle new tasks. We don’t grow. We don’t laugh.

Singing and working and exploring and growing and laughing are what you do when you’re alive. If you’re grumpy all the time, you’re not living the resurrection life. If you’re negative all the time, you’re dead. What are you thinking, “God’s going to fix my attitude when I get to heaven?”

Some of you are still asleep. You live like it. Wake up, O sleeper! Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you!

But I want to play it safe. Better safe than sorry. I don’t want to take any risks. I don’t want to go out on a limb. I don’t want to change. I don’t need to grow.

Man, you’re living in the dark and cold of the grave! And that’s not really living.

Jesus is no longer in that garden tomb. Our Christ is alive today and reigning in glory at the right hand of our Father in heaven! And that’s where you are, too. He’s already seated you there, right beside him. Now, start acting like it. Live like it! Follow Jesus out of the tomb, into the warmth and energy and light of his resurrection life.

Peace,

Allan