RISING OF JESUS

 WE COULD SAY THE WORLD STARTRED OVER WHEN THE SON OF GOD WAS MADE FLESH IN THE WOMB OF THE VIRGIN MARY. FROM  THAT MOMENT ON, HISTORY WAS FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED OR WE COULD SAY THE WORLD STARTRED A NEW; WITH THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, WHEN POOR JEWISH SHEPHERDS AND INQUIRING GENTILE ASTROLOGERS REPRESENTED THE WHOLE WORLD BEFORE HIS CRIB.
BUT IT IS NEAREST THE TRUTH TO SAY THE WORLD STARTED -OVER WITH THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS, FOR IN THAT EVENT GOD'S SAVING PLAN WAS PERFECTLY FULFILLED, IN THE CENTER OF TIME AND ETERNITY, RADIATING POWER TO THE UNIVERSE, IS THE RISEN JESUS, GLOROUS IN NEW AND MYSTERIOUS HUMAN LIFE, DIVINITY SHINING THROUGH HUMANITY, INVITING AND EMPOWERING ALL THE CHILDREN OF ADAM TO BE JOINED TO HIM IN VICTORY AND GLORY.
WE MUST SAY " DEATH AND RESURRECTION" FOR IT IS BOTH OF THESE EVENTS OR, PERHAPS BETTER, COMBINED EVENT  THAT IS CRUCIAL IN ALL HISTORY. DID NOT THE MESSIAH HAVE TO UNDERGO ALL THIS SO AS TO ENTER INTO HIS GLORY (LK. 24-26). BEGINNING AT MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, HE EXPOUNDED UNTO THEM
 IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF. AND THEY DREW NIGH UNTO THE VILLAGE WHERE HE MADE AS THOUGH HE WOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER. ABIDE WITH US: FOR THE DAY IS FAR  SPENT. AND HE WENT IN TO TARRY WITH THEM. AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS HE SAT AT MEAT; WITH THEM, HE TOOK BREAD AND BLESSED, AND BRAKE, AND GAVE IT TO THEM. AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED AND THEY KNEW HIM ( RECOGNIZED) AND HE VANISHED OUT OF THEIR SIGHT. AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER, DID NOT OUR HEART BURN WITHIN US, WHILE HE TALKED WITH US BY THE WAY (ON THE ROAD) AND WHILE HE OPENED TO US THE SCRIPTURES (EXPLAINED), AND THEY ROSE UP THE SAME HOURAND THEY RETURNED TO JERUSALEM, AND FOUND THE ELEVEN GATHERED TOGETHER.
THE IMPOSSIBILTY OF RECOGNIZING JESUS WITHOUT FAITH INDICATES THAT THE RISEN BODY HAS DIFFERENT QUALITIES THAN IT HAD BEFORE HIS DEATH. OBVIOUSLY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS DOES NOT IMPLY THE RESUSCITATION
 OF A SIX-FOOT, 190-POUND MAN. HE DID NOT COME "BACK" LIKE LAZARUS.
. JESUS RISEN BODY IS A REAL BODY- MATERIAL, YET NOW "SPIRITUAL."
WHAT CAN THIS MEAN? PAUL MAY HELP US, AS HE SPEAKS OF THE KIND OF BODIES WE WILL HAVE/  A NONSENSICAL QUESTION!...WHEN YOU SOW, YOU DO NOT SSSOW THE FULL BLOWN PLANT, BUT A KERNEL OF WHEAT OR SOME OTHER GRAIN, GOD GIVES BODY TO IT AS HE PLEASES- TO EACH SEED ITS OWN FRUITION ... WHAT IS SOWN IN THE EARTH IS SUBJECT TO DECAY, WHAT RISES IS INCORRUPTIBLE. WHAT IS SOWN IS IGNOBLE, WHAT RISES IS GLORIOUS. WEAKNESS IS SOWN, STRENGTH RISES UP, A NATUTAL BODY IS PUT DOWN AND A SPIRITUAL BODY COMES UP ( 1 COR. 15: 35-38, 42-44). JESUS NO LONGERS BELONGS TO OUR SPACE AND TIME. THERE IS NO HOUR GLASS IN HIS LIFE, AND HIS POWER FLOWS TO THE UNIVERSE. HE IS SIMPLY " AVAILABLE"  TO ANYONE AND EVERY ONE., ANY PLACE ANY TIME.
                                       " THE INNER MEANING OF THE RESURRECTION.
LEST WE MISS THE FOREST FOR THE TREES, WE MUST ASK OURSELVES WHAT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS MEANS FOR US TODAY?  STARTING ON THE END, WE KNOW BODIES WILL RISE AS HE DID, AND WE WILL SHARE HIS VICTORY AND GLORY AND JOY FOREVER. BUT IN A ONCE- AND- FOR- ALL SENSE, IT MEANS THAT THE FATHER, AS ETERNALLY, PLANNED, RESPONDS, IN THIS FAITHFUL WAY TO THE PERFECT CHILDLIKE TRUST AND OBEDIENCE OF JESUS. HE RAISES HIM UP, AND WITH HIM ALL WHO WISH TO JOIN HIM. JESUS ROSE BY HIS OWN POWER, AND HE WAS RAISED BY THE FATHER (JN 10-18; ROM. 6-4). IT IS ALL ONE- THE MERCIFUL PLAN, THE FATHER, THE SON, AND SPIRIT FORMED FROM ETERNITY.
 JESUS IS GOD'S "LAST WORD"  HIS DEATH AN RESURRECTION-GLORIFICATION-OUT POURING OF SPIRIT ARE "ALL" THAT EVEN THE INFINITELY MERCIFUL GOD CAN DO. NOW THEIR IS NOTHING LEFTB TO DO- WETHER THE WORLD LASTS A DAY OR A MILLION YEARS. BUT TO DRAW ALL WHO WISH INTO THE SAVING, ENLIVEING LIFE OF JESUS. WHAT JESUS IS, ALL CAN BE: FREE FROM DEATH, SIN, SUFFERING,, EVIL.
THE UNION OF GOD AND HUMAN BEINGS IS SEALED NOW, FOREVER. IT CAN NEVER BE BROKEN BECAUSE JESUS, FINALLY THE HUMAN ONE, HAS MADE THE EXODUS THROUGH THE WATERS OF DEATH TO NEW LIFE, WHICH HE SHARES WITH ALL WHO DESIRES IT. THE DEAD, THE HERITAGE OF SIN IS WIPED OUT. GOD'S LIFE REPLACES DEATH IN THE HEARTS OF ALL.WHO "TURN TO HIM".  THE KINGDOM HAS INDEED COME. IT IS JESUS AND ALL HIS FOLLOWERS ALLOWING THEMSELVES TO BE FULLY POSSESSED BY THE LOVE OF THE FATHER.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN BEINGS BY THE POWER OF JESUS DEATH AND RESURRECTION. WE HAVE SEEN THIS AMAZING CHANGE IN THOSE WHO AT FIRST STUBBORNLY REFUSED TO BELIEVE. THEY BOWED DOWN AND SAID;, " MY LORD AND MY GOD!" THEY RECOGNIZED JESUS AS THE "LORD"
ONE WITH YAHWEH OF CREATION. SO THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS IS INDEED THE WORLD STARTING  OVER. JESUS IS THE NEW ADAM, LIFTED UP OUT OF THE OLD ADAM WHICH WAS IMPRISONED IN SIN AND DEATH. THE FIRST ADAM- AND ALL OF US FORFEITED OUR GIFTS. THE NEW ADAM, TRUELY HUMAN IN THE PERSON OF THE SON, MADE THE PERFECT ATONEMENT. HE FULFILLED THE PURPOSE OF ALL SACRIFICE: UNION WITH GOD. THE POWER OF JESUS IS ALWAYS WITH US. IT GIVES US THE POWER TO DIE- PERHAPS A HUNDREAD TIMES A DAY-TO SELFISHNESS AND UNTRUTH AND TO RISE-EVEN THOUGH THE TASTE OF IT MAY BE THERE-TO GREATER UNION WITH THE RISEN JESUS