To be a Christian is to be a “little Christ”. It is to be Christ-like. It is the image of Christ being reflected in us. It is, as Paul declares, “Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
The Christian life, therefore, should take on the pattern of the life of Christ, especially as in his death, burial, and resurrection. In other words, as Christians and disciples of Jesus, our life will always be going through one of these three phases or seasons: death, burial, and/or resurrection.
DEATH
The great and overarching call of every disciple is to “take up your cross”. This is what Jesus did, literally. And upon that cross He was then crucified in our place for our sins. “Not my will but yours be done” was explicitly displayed on the cross.
In Jesus the disciple has also been crucified on the cross. There are things in us that must be put to death and done away with. Whether attitudes of the heart, habits of the flesh, patterns of the mind—the work of dying to ourselves and losing our lives in obedience to Christ is an ongoing process in this life.
The work of the cross is hard work. It is painful and not always quick and easy. But it is necessary.
In the very early years of our marriage I was not good with money. Some debt began to accumulate. I prayed to God to help me. What I really meant was, “God, do a miracle and rescue me from my foolishness.” But God had a better plan than miraculously making my debt disappear. He wanted to change my heart. The long process of working foolishness out of my heart by discipline began. The dying was hard and long, but it was necessary. A miracle would have bypassed the work of the cross in my heart. This season of life was essential.
BURIAL
When his body had been placed in a tomb, the women who had loved and followed Jesus began to prepare spices for his body. But on the sabbath, Luke tells us, they “rested” (Luke 23:56). The Sabbath was that holy day celebrated by Israel when God “rested” from His finished work of creation (Genesis 2:2). When God rested, He delighted in His finished work. I imagine He took a deep breath, sighed deeply, and smiled like we might do when after a long hard day’s work we’ve finished something of significance to us.
The disciples that were near enough to the cross could not imagine what Jesus meant when he breathed his last words, “It is finished.” What was finished? What work of significance had just been accomplished? The work of salvation. But that work was beyond what they could see or comprehend in that moment. And the body of Jesus was laid to rest in a tomb. And there was silence and there was stillness. Between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday there was the Sabbath.
After we have taken up our cross, after things have been put to death in our life, there comes burial, a season of silence and of stillness. There’s no sound, there’s no movement. It appears God is absent, doing nothing at all. We wonder, we doubt, we reflect, we try to figure things out. Yet, all along God is at work—beneath, behind, beyond all we can see, hear, feel, and comprehend.
In the dying it’s often easy to recognize what God is doing. It’s hard to hide our sin sometimes. We can’t deny we just lost our temper or lied or gave in to temptation again. But in the burying of some of these things it’s not easy to see how or if God is at work. Don’t give up hope, though. Remember the pattern of Christ’s life: that after death and burial comes resurrection.
Maybe at the death of His Son, God in heaven looked down upon that finished work of salvation, sighed deeply, and smiled and said, “At last. His work is finished.” Maybe God rested and delighted on that Sabbath, too.
RESURRECTION
As Christians, we can at all times look upon the cross, sigh deeply, and rest and delight in the finished work of Christ. All that is crucified will be resurrected. Nothing that is not crucified can be resurrected. If we have been crucified with Christ, surely we will rise with Him. Surely we have risen with Him!
After death and burial comes resurrection. Underneath the hard surface and ground of our old heart new life begins to grow and emerge. What we have taken to the cross and buried, now rises out of the ground transformed. The seed that is planted looks nothing like the tree that it produces. New attitudes, desires, thoughts, works, habits, and patterns begin to emerge in and out of us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Resurrection and the Life has come (John 11:25) and now lives and dwells within us.
The season of resurrection is an exciting season! All that is springing up is bold and exciting! God is on the move! There is renewal and transformation, a growing and maturing into “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). This is a lifelong process, which brings us back to where we began.
The Christian life will take on the pattern of the life of Christ, as seen especially in his death, burial, and resurrection. In other words, as Christians and disciples of Jesus, in this life we will always be going through one of these three phases or seasons: death, burial, and/or resurrection. Have no fear. Be of good courage. Rejoice always. Take hope. Jesus is in charge.