How would you have described your reaction, had you been present when the resurrected Jesus first passed through the wall of the room where you were hiding? Terrified? Surprised? Shocked? Have many times would you come to repeat that story to others in the coming years? How long would it have taken to come to terms with what you had witnessed?
Some thirty years later, Paul will write about his understanding in a letter to his church plant in Colossae (as translated in TPT):
‘Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.’ (3:1,2)
Wow! He’s describing a Christian, one who is attempting to follow Jesus’ example. So, it might be written this way, given that Christ’s resurrection is a believer’s resurrection too:
A Christian is one who yearns for all that is above, knowing that that’s where Jesus is now enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! A Christian is one who feasts on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fills their thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of this life.’
In referring to his Missions Team strategy, Paul says: ‘We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.’ (2 Cor. 10:5, TPT).
In a letter to Corinthian believers, Paul says: ‘Since a great price was paid for your redemption, stop having the mind-set of a slave.’ (1 Cor. 7:23, TPT).
To his Philippian church he writes: ‘ . . . keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.’ (4:8, TPT).
Christians are resurrected too! To the church at Ephesus, Paul writes: ‘And his fullness fills you, even though you were once like corpses, dead in your sins and offenses.’ (2:1, TPT).
Christians are resurrected too! In Paul’s theological treatise to the church at Rome, he writes: ‘Sharing in his death by our baptism means that we were co-buried and entombed with him, so that when the Father’s glory raised Christ from the dead, we were also raised with him. We have been co-resurrected with him so that we could be empowered to walk in the freshness of new life.’ (6:4, TPT).
Here’s an intriguing ponder for your Thursday: Could ‘born again’ mean ‘co-resurrected’? PD
