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| Friday, September 20, 2002 Meditation 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Do you want some advice on evangelization? Then, read these words from St. Paul about the power of Jesus’ resurrection. It’s not a typical place to look, but Paul is adamant that Christ must be preached as “raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12). In a way, to focus only on Jesus’ death would be as silly as burying seeds in a garden without thinking about the flowers or vegetables that they will become. As Jesus himself once said, it is so that it will “bear much fruit” that a grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die (John 12:24).
Yes, Jesus died for our sins. But he also rose in victory over sin—and he took us with him to heaven! Paul’s point is that without the resurrection, our condition would be pitiful: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
The good news God has commissioned us to proclaim is that Christ has been raised, and through his resurrection, heaven now is opened. All the healing, restoring, transforming power of God has been poured out on a fallen world. This message of hope and promise should be at the heart of the message we preach. Jesus’ death isn’t just about what he saved us from. It’s also about what he saved us for. Evangelization is meant to go beyond announcing God’s forgiveness for sin. It proclaims the invitation to live in his presence, even here on earth, and the untold possibilities of life that unfold as we walk with Jesus every day.
Seeing both sides of the cross—Jesus’ death and his resurrection—can fill us with a growing passion to spread the gospel. We can help men and women come to share in the victory of Christ. We can help them rise above this world in faith. We can help them find the way to freedom from sin so they can be intimately united to Jesus. May this be the great hope that guides us today in all our dealings with people—at work, at school, in our neighborhood, in our homes. May we be joyful witnesses to the resurrection life.
“Lord Jesus, thank you for the victory of your resurrection. I want to reveal this life to everyone who has yet to encounter you as their risen and victorious Lord.” |