Denver Seminary

8 SPRING 2019 MAKES YOU THINK WE ASKED SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY? IN RESPONSE WE RECEIVED THESE BEAUTIFUL REFLECTIONS. BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION, I AM EMPOWERED TO RISE | By Patricia Raybon When life drags me down, I get up. The reason is simple. Jesus arose for me first. That's not a fancy explanation of my view of the resurrection of Christ. Instead, it reflects a faith born in my childhood—a time when life should offer us innocence, sweetness, and light. Yet life may decide otherwise. My life, for example, poured down racial insult. Then came gaslighting by those who said it wasn't happening or it didn't matter. My antidote was divine. Jesus and His empowering example inspired me to face prejudicial pain and, in Him, to rise—even after the worst of it. Whipped and mocked, He hung on a cross and remained dead for three days to redeem all sinners, including his tormentors, and also me. In the process, He defeated death itself, casting off the shame of crucifixion, the sting of injustice, and the meanness of the grave. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, He then got up. Thus, I seek to get up, too. Not in my own strength, but in His, seeking to defeat bitterness, to find hope, and to love in Him. As Peter said to exiled believers, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pet. 1:3). This is a triumphant reality, and I endeavor to walk in it daily. I could complicate this joy by explaining it with grown- up sophistication. Instead, I remember childhood, and that on rough days, I could always run to Christ and rise, just as He did. There's a spiritual song that captures that childhood understanding well: "He rose! He rose! He rose from the dead!" It's an uplifting song. Even more, it's mighty good news. BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION, I INHERITED A GREAT GIFT | By Rob Foley To convey what the Resurrection means to me, I must describe a crisis of faith I experienced. The trouble started during my boyhood, as the church we attended habitually relied on radical conversion stories as primary illustrations for coming into the Christian life. I still recall a former mob boss sharing his testimony, which really only stimulated me to envision shadowy trench coat meetings wrapped in cigarette smoke as I pondered the domesticated man then at the podium. As a child, I found those stories to be enchanting, but as an adult they became a barrier challenging the validity of my own walk with Christ. Comparatively, my story lacked the drama with which I associated transformation. After nearly 20 years of what I thought was steady discipleship, I struggled to find where the Resurrection impacted my life. Was I following Christ or an empty morality predicated on making "good" decisions? I was confused and desperate for confirmation. After months of walking through this quagmire, relief came one evening when I realized my story was part of an extensive heritage of devoted Christians. The biblical worldview my parents applied to my upbringing was an extension of their rearing by my grandparents, as was their upbringing by my great-grandparents, and so on. It caused me to wonder about my ancestor who originally pivoted into Christianity, initiating a cascade of generational faithfulness of which I am now the beneficiary. This revelation redefined my understanding of the power of the Resurrection, which, by God's grace, I inherited because of devoted generations before me. What I had mistakenly viewed as an uneventful existence with Christ was actually fruitful evidence of the Resurrection being seeded and sprouting many times over. Thus, not only does the Resurrection radically pivot hearts toward truth, but it also sustains truth through time. As the psalmist writes, "We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord … so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children" (Ps. 78:4, 6). BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION, I CAN TRANSCEND ACCEPTANCE | By Jamie Leach The phrase "transcending acceptance" encapsulates how I experience the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Achieving an emotional posture where we accept ourselves, others, and life circumstances is a victory—and perhaps, without Christ, the ultimate achievement.

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