“Because He Lives”

There’s a natural truth about life that I’ve observed—it happens to all of us: the more we interact with the extraordinary, the less extraordinary it seems.

In the 1987 NBA Dunk Contest, Michael Jordan performed what has become one of the most iconic dunks in NBA history. He jumped from the foul line—that’s 15 feet from the hoop—and dunked it. That move has been imitated and duplicated so many times that if someone attempted it today, they likely wouldn’t even advance to the next round.

What was once considered extraordinary has become ordinary.

I keep hearing reports that the dunk contest is “in trouble” and losing viewers because it’s become boring. The athletes are so good that they make the extraordinary look easy. We’ve been wowed for years by so many creative dunks that it’s hard to impress us anymore.

Today, I want to look at a truth from Scripture—something Christians hear, repeat, and interact with all the time. It is extraordinary news… but we need to fight the urge to treat it as ordinary.

If you’ve ever been in a church on Easter Sunday, you’ve probably heard this responsive declaration:

Leader: “Christ is Risen”
Congregation: “He is Risen Indeed”

The truth of the resurrection is extraordinary—yet sometimes we treat it like just another religious fact, when it’s actually a fact that should dramatically transform how we approach life.

It’s extraordinary because Christ did something no one else in the history of the world has done: He demonstrated dominion over death. Look at these verses:

• Romans 6:9 – “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”
• Acts 2:24 – “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
• 2 Timothy 1:10 – “…and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

The reason we must resist treating the extraordinary as ordinary is because the resurrection has a huge impact on our day-to-day lives.

If Christ has dominion over death, then He also has authority over all things.

1 Corinthians 15:26-27

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet.’”

And in Colossians 1:15–20, Paul describes Christ’s supreme authority:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

If Christ has authority over all things, it should change our outlook on life.

It won’t stop the storms from coming. It won’t prevent worries from creeping in. It doesn’t mean we’re immune to troubles.

But it does give us a reason for hope, joy, and peace in the midst of the storm.

As the children’s song reminds us:
“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!”

This Sunday, our closing hymn is an old favorite: “Because He Lives.”

This song can serve as both a prayer and a reminder of the hope the resurrection brings to our daily lives:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
Life is worth the living, just because He lives

In John 10:10, Jesus says:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

The only way to experience the abundant life Jesus promised is to live a life transformed by the reality of the resurrection. That means trusting Him in all circumstances, seeking His will and wisdom, and abiding in His presence.

May the truth of the resurrection pierce our hearts and minds and transform our outlook on life. Which will make “Life is worth the living—just because He lives!”

Adam