Jesus is leading us to the death of illusions, and illusions die hard. Jesus is leading us to the death of self-will, and self-will is a stubborn survivor. Jesus is leading us to the death of sin, and sin is a cat with nine lives. Jesus is leading us to the Lenten death that will catapult us into the Easter resurrection.”

           In his book On Living Well: Brief Reflections on Wisdom for Walking in the Way of Jesus, Eugene Peterson points out in one of his reflections how Jesus takes our understanding of life and death and reorientates them. For most of us, we start with life and then move into death. Perhaps it works that way because it is what we experience over the years or maybe because as we are born into sin it shapes how we view our experience only being able to see life first then death. For Jesus, Peterson says, it was always death first then life. in that same reflection, he also says, “A gospel paradox: in getting us ready to live Jesus gets us ready to die. First he gets himself ready to die so that he can live then he gets us ready.”

           My prayer and hope for us as a body of believers is that we would renew our minds in how we think about death and life. Easter for the Christian is the best reminder of what comes with death, a new life. You and I get to experience with others the celebration of the new life that Christ gets ready for us but only after it comes after death both spiritually as we surrender our lives over to Christ and physically one.

            May we see the beauty and blessing in that new life.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here be­low.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

- Pastor Josh