Death Disarmed

Introduction

Crossover Easter Series

This week we’ve been asking, ‘What is the best news ever?’ We often ask what’s the worst that could happen, but what’s the best possible news that you could get today? I’m quite confident that I have it today! It’s astonishingly big.

Riding on the Death Curve

Let’s map out the shape that many people think life takes. The assumption is that we pop out of nowhere, have a bit of life for a while, and then decline back down and die and return to nothingness and it’s over. This view is very widespread. It underlies the way we see the world, ourselves and others, and it underlies all the choices we make. But let’s take a closer look.

We have fun little ways of referring to this: “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) and “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) but what they’re describing and driving is a culture of self-indulgence and consumerism that is essentially “Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” The whole thing is driven by death. It is dominated by the baseline of a graph that maps our path back to the great ZERO. The assumption in this world-view is that ZERO ultimately wins. Nothingness is the ultimate lasting truth. Life is a temporary exception for a brief moment, but it runs out and back to nothing. One day the sun will run out of gas, the lights will go out, everything will die. People thing death wins. Death rules. And so it shapes and dominates their lives...

This is the death curve, the world view of Nihilism, but there is another curve.

Or Following the Life Curve

Jesus lived a different path. He taught it openly, and he lived it. It looks like this: He didn’t pop out of nowhere but came from God (and taught us that we too are not accidents but created.) He didn’t scramble upwards to try to maximise his life experiences and have as much fun as possible. This poem in Philippians 2 describes his trajectory.

Philippians 2:5–11 (NIV)

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you see how it is quite the opposite? What a contrast. He pointed himself downward “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And God raised him upward. It’s not only the way he lived, it is the way he taught. So many times he said “Those who exalt themselves [trace death curve up] will be humbled [trace death curve down] but those who humble themselves [trace life-curve down] will be exalted.

Can you see how this is the Greatest News Ever? The foundation of it all is that there is a power more powerful than death and darkness and nothingness. A loving and creating and living God who does not run out of gas but gives life and offers eternal life.

Compare and contrast the kind of society that is formed by these two world-views. The first one creates a culture where we see each other as competitors or threats or stepping stones to be climbed over as we each try to maximise our brief time in the sun. But Jesus’ way creates a community of people determined to serve one another and sacrifice for one another and put others before oneself. That cooperation and harmony bring a flourishing even in our broken world. And all with expectation and anticipation of something better and more lasting to come!

Let me give an example of this by

In 1824 William Gellibrand and his son Joseph (Attorney-General of Tasmania) arrived in Van Diemen’s Land. William was a well-connected settler and was granted 2000 acres of land at South Arm and assigned ten convicts. Over the years many convicts, men and women, served under him. He was known for the care he showed them, providing them with a comfortable hut and clothing that did not distinguish them as prisoners. William helped some convicts to establish a fresh start giving them the opportunity to raise families and contribute to founding the community of South Arm.

They came to him dishonoured and instead of exulting himself he humbled himself, sought to give them an opportunity, to rebuild, to start again, this gave new hope, new life.

I believe he would have seen these men in the image of God. And so treated them with love and kindness. Giving them their own homes and opportunity to start a family. From day one, he would have them remove their prison cloths, that identity of a condemned man for that of a free man.

Last year I walked to Williams's tomb at the end of the South arm which William Made and sat looking out over the bay to the mountain probably reflecting on life on earth being short and the resurrection. The Tomb actually quotes Paul in his great chapter on the resurrection 1 Corinthians 15 which winds up taunting

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 NIV

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ Because suffering and death are not ultimate. Like Jesus, we may need to suffer through. But it’s not our destination.

That is why we gather this morning to celebrate Easter, Jesus victory over death, it no longer has a sting.

Choosing to Ride the Life Curve

It’s mind-blowingly great news! You have to get your head around a whole different way of seeing things. But it begs 2 questions:

Is it true? It is only good news as opposed to wishful thinking if it has historical and scientific credibility. If death can be shown to really have been overcome. That’s why Paul starts his great chapter with historical facts. ‘Of first importance.’ 500+ witnesses most of them were still alive (‘Go ask them yourself!’) Many went on to give their own lives rather than deny what they had seen. Talk about credibility.

Now the other question is simply this: How do you get off the death-curve and onto the life-curve? Jesus invites all, indeed gave his life for it, so it’s yours if you want it. To attach your life to Him he gave a simple ceremony – baptism, which even acts out that curve: Down, then up, and into new life full of love, joy, meaning and expectation.

Invitation - wont make you do it at 8am in the morning

Closing prayer