Anyone who digs into the scriptures will find loads of irony. Sarah was 90 years old before she had a baby. Israel escapes oppression in Egypt, only to become an empire (centuries later) that oppresses its neighbors and its citizens. David, the runt in his family, becomes a conquering king. The boldest disciple can't admit to a servant girl that he follows Jesus. Jesus wins by losing.
And at Easter time we see the death of death. In Christ, God kills death. God does so by surrendering his Son to death. Death should be the last word: when someone dies, it's all over. The forces of evil in the spiritual realm rejoiced when Jesus died. But on the third day, he defeated death. He went through death to emerge on the other side. Death had lost its power over Jesus. Death took its best shot and Jesus defeated it.
Now in Christ, death is dead. Yes, all people will die eventually. But because Jesus defeated death, death no longer has the last word. Those who trust in Christ can know that when we experience physical death, Jesus sees us through to the other side. He walked this path ahead of us and defeated that enemy.
This is why Christians make such a big deal about Jesus's resurrection. We celebrate his victory. And we know that he gives us a taste of that resurrection life here and now. Because death is dead, we can truly live. Today.
