This is the Night

When God creates the first person in Genesis, two actions where necessary. God molded the first man's body from the dirt. The body was created. But that was not enough, God then breathed into the first human's nostrils to give him life. A human was created: body and soul.

Those of us who have lost loved ones to death understand how body and soul works. At the moment of death, or at the wake or viewing that follows a few day later, we can see our loved one's body. But the life is not there.

This happened to Jesus when he died on the cross. "Into your hands I commend my spirit." The body that is removed from the cross and buried in the new tomb is a body without spirit... without soul... without the breath of God.

This is the night that breath returns to his body. At some point before sunrise on the day after the Sabbath, Jesus is resurrected. Christ is risen! His residence is no longer the grave. He is resurrected: body/soul/spirit/breath. When the women come to the tomb the body is gone and the space is empty.

He is not the only person reported to have been brought back to life after death. A royal official's son, Lazarus and Jairus' daughter are just some of the examples of people being brought back to life. Medical science today also gives us examples of people being clinically dead for several minutes only to be brought back to life.

Jesus' resurrection is different. The resurrection of our Lord is a new creation and defeats death forever. Jesus will never die again. This is the night that new life entered his body. Baptized into the body of Christ we are promised to live this new life as well. His resurrection life will be our resurrection life.

That is the hope we life up as we gaze upon the body of a dear loved one. Their's is the promise of new life: Resurrection... body/soul/spirit/breath. This is the night that all began.