How did Jesus rise from the dead?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

What does it mean that Jesus "defeated death"?

When Jesus was preparing to begin his ministry, he went off by himself to pray.  During this time, the devil tried to tempt Jesus to worship him with offers of power and wealth in this world. Jesus rebuked the devil and turned to God the Father in prayer (Matthew 4).

Now, imagine Satan orchestrating the evil and hatred in people's hearts that resulted in Jesus' death -- manipulating truth and planting lies that people chose to follow in their desire to hold on to power, to gain more power, allay their fear of persecution, allay their fear of loss of status and prestige, and satisfying their demanding egos, to name a few.

The devil must have reveled in his ability to humiliate the Son of God and make him suffer and die the most painful death. The devil thought he won. He thought he had defeated God and crushed what was good and true in the world. Jesus seemed weak. Jesus did not fight. Jesus was brought to utter defeat. Satan thought he beat God and that he had the power.

Or so it seemed.

God had a plan from the beginning about how he would save his people and bring them back into right relationship with him, a plan where his children could live forever in his love (Genesis 3:15).

This is why Jesus' obedience and trust in God the Father was so important. While the world seemed to have turned against him and there was no reprieve from the suffering that was to come, Jesus walked the way before him and accepted death on the cross.

Since Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, he was total divine love. Upon Jesus' death, the power of love and the Spirit of God within himself was used to restore life. This is something that no human could possibly do. This is why God was the one who had to save us, and he chose to save us by becoming human and dying in our place. But after he died, he rose from the dead. And by rising from the dead, God conquered death. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Jesus promises that those who participate in his life and believe in him will have the Spirit of life. His Spirit lives in us and God will use this Spirit to give us eternal life in him.

Death had been defeated. It held no power over Jesus, and it holds no power over us.

"O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live... thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord." Ezekiel 37: 13-14

"If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you." Romans 8:11

Why did Jesus die?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. God the Son became human and was born for us. He had a normal and faith-filled (Jewish faith) life working as a carpenter and hanging out with his friends. From the ages of 30-33 he lived his ministry. His ministry challenged society to change and showed the people in power and those who upheld the status quo that they had it all wrong. He came to show us a better way -- the way God calls us to live and love one another.

• Prayer: Jesus prayed directly to God the Father and called him Abba, which means "father." This blew people's minds and offended many. (Mark 14:26)
• Authority: When he was teaching people about the way to make God #1 in their lives and the demand of placing love at the center of every action and word, people were surprised because he taught by his own authority and not as a representative of other teachers. (Matthew 7:29)
• Ministry: Society at the time excluded anyone who was disabled, sick, and/or living a life of outward sin (we all are sinners!) because society wrongly assumed their problems were punishments from God. Society judged, condemned, and abandoned these people in need. Jesus went directly to the people on the margins and brought them into his love and healing. Jesus taught that God loves all people.
• People: Jesus treated women as equals. Jesus also believed that people were more important than strictly following the law, just for the law's sake. (John 5)
• Neighbor: Jesus taught people to love their neighbor as themselves. So they asked, "Jesus, who is my neighbor?" Jesus said whoever we see in need is our neighbor. (Luke 10:25-37)
• Brother:  Jesus broke down the walls of loving only those who are in our families by putting human beings into one family: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Mathew 12:50)
• When did we see you in need?: Jesus told a story of people who saw him in need but did not offer any help, and the people asked, "Lord, when did we see you in need and not help you?" Jesus said that when we serve and care for the least in society and those in need, we are in fact serving him. (Matthew 25:31-46)

So, Jesus was pretty radical. We can see why he made enemies in powerful places.

Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being to be the living Word of God. Do we hear all that he taught us about the way to live? Jesus showed us how God created us to live -- with love in our hearts and with freedom from the selfishness, lies, and fear of this world.

Jesus did not say it was going to be easy to follow him. He was killed. Many of the first believers were killed. To this day, there is injustice and evil. But Jesus shows us that a life of love is powerful.

Jesus gave his life out of obedience to God's plan of salvation. He did not fight back or exert his power as God to stop his own suffering and death. He prayed for deliverance from suffering, but when none came, he walked the way before him. He forgave his killers and those who participated in his torture and death. He felt alone but still he trusted God the Father.

And God brought life and light and goodness out of death and darkness and evil. By the Resurrection, death was defeated by Jesus, the only one who could overcome death, and life was won for all.

God's way is not the easy way. In this world we have suffering, but we can trust in God's love for us and know that he will bring light out out of the darkness in our own lives, too. Jesus is with us as our strength to endure: "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20