Home > Resources For Adult Workers > Barefoot

Mitch Todd About Mitch

Life Goes On

"Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die,* but we will all be changed" — 1 Corinthians 15:51

Why did _____ have to die? Good question.

You may have asked that very question before, about a family member, a good friend, maybe even a beloved pet. Why did they have to die?

This week, we fill in that blank with the name of Jesus. Why did Jesus have to die?

It's an important question, and we tend to answer it in big complicated ways. People talk about the "substitutionary atonement" and Jesus as a ransom for sin. People argue about whether God sent Jesus to his death, or if it was voluntary. Some people wonder if this wasn't God's plan at all, and that the angry crowds forced God to work fast and turn something ugly into something beautiful.

There's a lot of important stuff to wrestle with, I know, but for me, Easter is much simpler. Three words: Life Goes On.

Here's my understanding of Holy Week and Easter as clearly as I can put it: Q: Why did Jesus have to die? A: He didn't die. I mean yes, he went through great pain and suffering on the cross. He was mistreated and misunderstood and he died a martyr's death, but ultimately he showed us that Life Goes On.

I mean yes, his body broke down, his lungs stopped breathing, his heart stopped pumping. Clinically, the man was dead.

But, miraculously, like the women at the tomb, we discover that Life Goes On.

In no way am I trying to understate his incredible sacrifice on the cross. But what fills me with joy is the knowledge that he lives! Are you with me? Isn't that the whole point of the resurrection? To show us that even though our earthly bodies wear out or are destroyed.... Life Goes On. There's more in store for us than these handful of days walking around on the earth. There's a greater meaning than "you're born, you live, you die".

If you search through the scriptures this week, you'll catch glimpses Jesus gives us of what's beyond our days on earth. Still, much of what comes next is a mystery to us. That can frustrate me sometimes, and probably you, too. But then I remind myself that I don't need to know how it all ends...I just need to be thrilled that the journey continues.

So rejoice! Life Goes On... for you and for me,

And for _______, too.

Have A Great Week!

Mitch
rmitchelltodd@yahoo.com