Freeze Tag in Reverse
By Jim Howe
We
move now to the next section in Paul’s amazing chapter on resurrection life as
a sign of the new creation and its spread as the good contagion:
“and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then
he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are
still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to
all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his
grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of
them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1
Corinthians 15:5–10, ESV)
Did
you ever play freeze tag? One person is “it”
and runs around trying to tag everyone.
When someone is tagged that person freezes in place. The only catch is
that those who have not been tagged yet can touch those who have been frozen so
that they are freed. Imagine doing it in
reverse with everyone frozen and one person tagging them to set them free. The Holy Spirit did this as the gospel
message was announced and people were brought to life. This is the way the gospel of Christ’s death
and resurrection raged across the ancient world. The gospel about Jesus Christ was, pardon the
association, a good virus that buoyed along on the announcement of life, hope
and meaning to a world living in darkness and despair.
It
began with Peter. “Tag, you are freely forgiven,” and it spread. First, to the twelve minus Judas, then to five
hundred, to James, to Paul as the last appearance of Christ, and it spread to
Corinth through witness of the apostolic movement of the Church. Paul’s whole framework for resurrection is
that with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ a whole new world, indeed
the future, has broken into our existence. The end of the world, “the last days,”
began with the horrible event of Christ’s crucifixion. The beginning of “the last days” began with
the tribulation that continues still
today, starting with the death of Jesus Christ, continued through the martyrs
down the ages, and today on a global scale of Christian persecution as never
before imagined. Paul has been arguing in 1 Corinthians for a picture of the
new life we are brought into by the proclamation of the gospel. The Church is made up of people of the future
new creation. This view of the “last days” is extremely important in our time
of major cultural change and increased suffering of the Church around the globe.
We are brought to life by hearing and believing the gospel. Our
new life is the beginning of the new creation and an entering into the new
world that is to come.
Christ’s
appearing to Peter (Cephas) started it all and the Holy Spirit was poured out
at Pentecost upon the whole Church, unleashing life. The confidence Paul encourages is better than
a facemask or even living with a glass or plastic bubble on our head like space
men on Mars. Oh, I get it there is the government and scientific
expertise. There are as many opinions
about the virus, how to handle it, how to be safe, whether to wear a mask or
not and the importance of work as there are people it seems. But for the
Christian, the reality that we have what Paul calls the first fruits (v. 23) of
the new world is the only protection that ultimately matters. Believers in Christ’s death and resurrection
are already alive in a way not even death can frustrate.
Our
vision of reality is shaped by a perspective that the end of the world began at
the cross and that the history of the Church is life in the last days. This is a brief explanation so hang in there
and read the quoted passages as you follow the biblical line of thinking. Our
view of history has its roots in the Old Testament view that looked forward to
the coming of the Messiah. It spoke of a tribulation (Ezk. 38:14-17) that
included persecution of the people of God (Dan. 11:27-28, 12:10). It spoke of a future time after the
tribulation when the people of God will seek the Lord (Hos. 3:4-5) and be
delivered (Ezek. 38:14-16, Dan. 10:14, 11:40-45). G. K. Beale a Bible scholar who outlines this
material (1- 2 Thessalonians, p. 19ff) points out that after the tribulation
deliverance will occur and God will establish His kingdom (Mic. 4:1-3). The New Testament uses the phrase “latter days”
or “end times” to refer to Christ’s kingdom that began with His death,
resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit.
This
understanding of God’s perspective of salvation time is important because of
the global pandemic and discussion of the end and a new reality. Many of us feel the nearness of the Lord’s
return and find our thoughts turning to the “last days”. I came to Christ in a big part because of the
apocalyptic fears of the atomic bomb and the popularity of Hal Lindsey’s “The
Late Great Planet Earth.” This perspective sees the “last days”
differently than the Biblical authors.
They see it in terms of the end as the final period of history, the
generation living right before Christ’s return. But there is strong evidence
that the Bible clearly teaches that the good news Paul declares as centered in
Christ’s death and resurrection was the inauguration of the end. We have been in the “end times” since the
days of Christ’s death. What evidence is there?
The
first time the phrase “last days” occurs in the New Testament is Acts
2:17. When the Church breaks out in
tongues speaking, the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that in the last days all
the people of God will receive the Spirit.
In 1 Cor. 10:11 Paul writes that the Old Testament is written for the
Church because the Church age is a time when the end had come “when the time
had fully come.” In 1 Jn. 2:18 John
writes of the appearance of “antichrists” already present in his *time. Paul in 1 Timothy wrote of the false teaching
of his day as an expression of the “latter days” ( 1 Tim. 4:1-2). Paul was living the end times.
This
perspective of the end, suffering, antichrists and the new creation was already
loose in the Church. This is important
for us because those who hear the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection
are transformed out of the kingdom of darkness into the marvelous light. The new creation has begun in us. I recently saw a picture on Facebook of
people walking around in a city with full space masks on. Is this the reality
we are about to enter? Some seem to
think so. The Church of the “last days
kingdom” is not just as a bunch of people who meet for worship on Sunday: it is far more radical than that. Faith is the work of God calling us into an
alternative reality defined by resurrection life. We are a people who are being transformed by
rebirth. We are not in the new world yet, but the
new creation is at work in us preparing us for
the return of Christ and the inbreaking of the new world.
In
Corinth, the Church of Paul’s day had no ‘church buildings”. We have been cut off from our buildings by
people who are hoping to save humanity from this pandemic. But we are a people already rescued. Our day of death is assigned by God, not science. The Preacher to the Hebrews put it this way, “And just as it is appointed for
man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered
once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin
but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27–28, ESV)
The Church has its roots in the
background of the Old Testament where we are part of the gathered congregation
in continuity with believing Israel. We
have exchanged citizenship in the kingdom of man, which is under God’s judgment,
for the kingdom of God’s Son. Christ’s
lordship is realized in this ongoing spread of the good news of Christ’s death
and resurrection. Who spoke God’s word to you in the power of the coming world
so that “old old story” of how Christ came suffered, was buried and rose so you
now live by faith in the Son of God? We
suffer, we are persecuted, we get sick, but our lives are now defined by the life
of Jesus. The life of the world to come
defines our reality more than the trends, threats and fears of the world that
is soon to be judged. Jesus is the
Messiah who is seated upon His throne where He rules. He is King of a kingdom that is coming but is
already among us now in God’s love, joy, peace, and hope. The coming kingdom of God is our protection
and security.
Father, root us deep in resurrection
reality. We praise you that through
belief in your Son Jesus Christ we have life now, and though we die we shall live.
We praise you that one day Jesus will descend with a shout and the dead
in Christ will rise first, and then we who are alive will be caught up into the
final form of the new creation to be always with the Lord, to be with you
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the
drum beat that shapes our reality. It is life, not fear. The life from the
coming kingdom gives us Hope and assurance. We are not like those who are
without hope and think that death is simply the end. Father, make us the people
shaped by the new world that is coming.
Holy Spirit, breathe over us life from the coming kingdom as we rejoice
that our King is coming back. In His
precious name, Amen.
I am looking forward to the final and ultimate
gathering of the people of God. I am
looking forward to the completion of the new heaven and new earth when sin and
death is ended. Reflect on that as you
listen: https://youtu.be/LGAdaGbmfFs
I am praying all of you rise up with
hope. I, too, struggle in the hours of
the night with the darkness of these times.
But look up saints of God your Savior reigns!
Blessings, Jim
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