Planting Seeds - Our Hope in the Resurrection
by Joe Leavell
Photo by Jonathan Chovan
If you have ever done any planting or worked with seeds in the any way, you know that the kernel that you sow in seed form looks very different from the plant into which it grows. For instance, a rose seed looks obviously very different than a rose bush in a full bloom of flowers.
Scripture uses this analogy in 1 Corinthians 15 when describing our corruptible bodies here on earth compared to our incorruptible bodies that we will receive when we are in heaven.
Like seeds that have to be put into the ground and die in order to become the plant, those of us in Christ must remove that which is corruptible in order to put on incorruption. Our bodies will wear out and die and be planted in the ground. When the seed that is in Christ has been planted, it will bloom into something more beautiful than we could imagine.
How do we know this is true? It is because this is exactly what happened to the body of Jesus. Bearing our sin and our shame on the cross, He was placed into the tomb. Three days later, He rose victorious over sin and death, guaranteeing by His resurrection that those who are in Him will also follow Him in rising from the dead into glory.
Personal Loss
The celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday will always be an emotional time for my entire family. For those who know me, my older brother, Chris, passed away in October of 2015 from melanoma cancer after only a very brief battle of a few months. He was only 37 years old and left behind his loving wife and three young children.
Easter…my brother was hopeful that he would get to celebrate the resurrection of his Savior one more time here on earth before meeting Jesus face to face. He spoke of it often, speaking of the hope of the Gospel and his desire to celebrate Christ’s victory with his family one more time. He wanted so badly to celebrate the truth that in the midst of his physical pain he had reason for hope because of Christ’s resurrection.
Easter is often emotionally raw, not only because my brother is not here with us to celebrate. We have lost the seed kernel of my brother’s body and the personal presence of his companionship. For this, we will continue to mourn.
But remembering the ressurection also stirs deep emotion because the hope of the Gospel has become very near to my family. Staring death in the face has a way of making the realities of this sin cursed world just that much more grotesque but the beauty of the Gospel much more breathtaking.
I know we’re not alone in that. Many have suffered significantly in the loss of loved ones but still see the good news of the Gospel as the reason for continuing on. Without the reality of the resurrection of Jesus, endurance in this life would lose all meaning and we would drown in our sorrow and loss. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, our grief doesn’t have to look like “others who have no hope.”
Remembering the Resurrection at the Empty Tomb
A few months after my brother passed away, I had the privilege of accompanying my in-laws on a ten day tour of Israel. While I would recommend everyone take that kind of a tour to Israel, it was especially meaningful so close to the loss of my brother. While I loved every aspect of the tour, I just could not wait to see the empty tomb with my own eyes.
For me, I was holding in my tears like a person who was holding in a sneeze or a cough but determines to keep it inside until they are alone. I was determined not to let go of my emotions until I was at the garden tomb and carried them deep all throughout the trip while they continued to rise and rise as we approached Jerusalem.
At the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, we were able to remember Christ’s sacrifice with communion together, remembering His taking on our sins on the cross and his burial. Afterward, we celebrated His resurrection where many believe he was buried and rose again. Together, we sang the words,
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth a living just because He lives.”
I let go of all my emotions. I was a mess.
The truth of my brother’s death and the deep pain that had continually bubbled up all along the trip, as well as in the recent months, came flowing out as I looked at the empty grave and celebrated my risen Savior. I recalled to my heart that if Christ had not risen from the dead then my brother would have perished forever. However, Jesus really has risen again from the dead! The grave is empty!!
I Can Face Tomorrow
Because He completely paid the penalty for sin, the grave could not hold any right to Jesus, so He rose again from the dead. Because my brother is in Christ, the grave has no claim on him either. One day, because of the empty grave, we will be able to see the precious incorruptible life that Christ has made of that seed that has been put in the ground. Because of the empty tomb, I will see my brother again in the fullness of what God redeemed him to be!
A few short months after he passed away, one of my young sons noted to me, “You know what’s cool, Dad? Uncle Chris is more alive now than he has ever been.” The truth of those words hit me hard and the tears began again. That’s exactly right! My brother is no longer in seed form where his body is destroyed by cancer.
He is free to live forever!
I Didn’t Want to Have to Understand, But I Do
If you are reading this and you have suffered loss, I can reluctantly say that I understand what it is to feel the loss of someone very dear to you. It certainly makes Easter especially difficult. But it also makes Easter more magnificent and glorious than ever before.
Those who know that their loved ones have placed their faith and hope in Christ are assured that just as surely as we know that our Savior has been raised again from the dead, our loved ones will also be raised incorruptible.
For those of us in Christ, this is our hope for ourselves as well. We do not need to fear our own death any more than a farmer fears planting season. We know that that all of those who are in Christ will be raised and it will be glorious.
As Scripture says,
“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
‘O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
For this reason, I am greatly looking forward to celebrating the resurrection this Easter with my church family. The truth of the resurrection is where I can find the strength to carry on in the hope of the Gospel. I hope and pray that you will also find comfort and hope in the resurrection as you worship with your church family this Sunday.
