The End is the Beginning

Life after death. Jesus triumphed over evil and death. He is alive. He continues to live. We share in His victory over death and sin.

27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[a] 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.-Luke20:27-40

There are many things in life where we cannot pin it down for good. A perfect example of this is Life After Death or the question, "What happens to us when we die?" There are many beliefs about life after death which includes resurrection.

Jesus once and for all answered the question of life after death when He said, "But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection." Though our body or physical shell dies, our spirit continues to live on (resurrection) and shall go home back to God. If we are worthy, we will be like the angels, enjoying eternal bliss with God.

It is such a pity that there are some, at this age, who still do not believe in resurrection. There are those who use science to take a glimpse on life after death or use laboratory experimentation to venture the realm of the dead. For me, the realm of "Life after Death" could never be calculated, analyzed, studied or experimented upon because this is something that should be experienced when one dies. We can only make hypothetical guesses and never reach far.

Apart from triumph over death and sin, Jesus also promises New Life to us all after His resurrection. This New Life is a brand new beginning after 'death,' a new morning after night's darkness. Our nature is prone to sin but Jesus' resurrection promises a new life, forgiveness and a new chance for us to start anew. Life indeed is a continuous resurrection, a continuous renewal, a continuous conversion until death.

Image courtesy: Jan Steen (Marriage of Tobias and Sarah); artists