I’ve never seen a resurrection. As a pastor, I’ve stood by the graveside of dozens of people. Their body was lowered into the earth, like a puppet vacant of its vivacious personality. Their sense of humor and sarcasm, their will to live, to build, to dream, and to accomplish things, to travel with the family, or to relax at the beach, their morning coffee routines, taking the dog for a walk, or grocery shopping on Saturdays with the kids, their business partnerships and talented creations—all of these suddenly muted and irreversibly past tense. It’s like watching a motionless candlewick with no dancing flame. The psalmist lamented, “When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing” (Psalm 146:4).

Yet, Jesus resurrected from the grave, “with the power of an indestructible life.” When we see Jesus after the grave, He is hardly recognizable in bodily form. Mary didn’t know it was Him at first (John 20:11–18). Two disciples walked the entire road to Emmaus without perceiving that it was Him (Luke 24:13–35). He passed through walls (John 20:19–23). He appeared to five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:6) and teleported to Galilee (Matthew 28:5–10, 16–17). His body glowed vividly, like fire, below the waste, and like sage wisdom above it (Revelation 1:12–18).

Jesus’ charismatic personality continues beyond death’s cold stare. Death couldn’t wither Jesus up. Jesus withers death up, like a raisin in the sunlight of His eternal face. It would be wrong to say that Jesus is renewed with life. Jesus is life, contagiously reproductive and insuppressible. The aura around His throne is a throbbing, iridescent green—a vernal Spring morning pulsing with vitality, a verdant feast of color, joy, and vigor. Creation and re-Creation spring out of Him like eruptions of energy. He is contagiously alive, and everything around Him is drunk with personality and purpose. He promised his disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19), and “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).

We live again through Jesus. What a hope! Resurrection life will be baptized in the purity of God’s joy, love, and vibrant presence. The dawn of a new creation will roll away the dark shadow of sin and trauma. We will no longer drink the thin soup of depression or taste the bitter herbs of toil and hardship. Jesus is all that will remain! He is indestructible! Anti-fragile! Enduring! Beautiful! Noble! Joyful! Peaceful! Loving! With the power of His indestructible life, He will create again. “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:4–5). 

Tags: resurrection, gospel, joy, life, eternity, beauty, healing, death, grave, grief