Advent-ure 2021 December 6: Jesus To Be Raised From the Dead (From Corrupt to Clean)

During this Advent season, and as you perhaps work your way through the Faith Radio Advent Guide, it's important that we continue to look at not only the birth of Christ, but also His death and resurrection. Jesus is alive and He invites us into a relationship with Himself; because He is alive, we will live with Him forever. In 1st Corinthians 15, we can read:
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

The prophets spoke not only on the characteristics of the Messiah, but on His death and resurrection. In detail, we find a description of what would occur at the crucifixion - long before it happened. The Bible also points to Jesus rising from the dead.  And, we learn about the significance of that incredible event. So, as we think about the manger and that wonderful series of event in our nativity scenes, we can also think about the cross and the empty tomb, which communicate to us that we are alive in Christ. 

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The Bible teaches us that in Christ, we have been raised to new life because of what Jesus has done - we have been brought from death to life, from darkness to light, from old to new. We have been given a new spirit, declared to be new creations, and cleansed inside.  Resurrection - the raising up of our Savior - is a key component of the salvation story laid out in the Old Testament, pointing to the One who would be our Redeemer.

It's Day 6 of "25: A Christmas Advent-ure," and we find a passage in Psalms that points to such a resurrection. In Psalm 16, we see these words:
8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

Then the Psalmist shifts to a prophetic portrayal of the Messiah:
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Prior to the coming of Jesus, those who died had a death sentence for eternity.  They did not have the hope of eternal life with God, because they were bound into sin.  But, Jesus came to set the captives free, defeating the power of the enemy and triumphing over sin and death.

John Cichy is a former police detective who experienced this incredible experience of moving from death to life.  A God Reports story says that...

The former undercover detective who lived a high-flying life — with spinning rims, free drinks at bars and 19 girlfriends — was accused with two other Schaumburg Village, Ill, detectives of re-selling part of the drugs they confiscated from busts.

His colleagues received shorter sentences because they entered into a plea agreement, but not Cichy. He had made an agreement of another kind which transformed His life - accepting Jesus as His Lord. On day 17 of being in solitary confinement.  He said:

“I realized I needed help because there was no way I was getting out of this, there was no way I was getting through this,” he says on a Psalm Forty video. “January 31st, 2013, right after midnight, I wholeheartedly called out to God. I saw everything that I was doing wrong that was displeasing to God that was harming me, and I realized I got myself into that mess. I said, ‘God, I don’t want to live that life no more.’ I wholeheartedly repented of that life.”

He was staring down a maximum of 24 years in prison on 18 counts, but he turned down any offers of a plea bargain. Why? Because He believed that God told him not to. The story goes on to quote John as saying, “In the midst of an actual trial facing 24 years in prison, I started preaching about hope in Christ. That’s absurd. No one does that,” adding, “No human being can speak of love and joy and peace in the midst of facing 24 years in prison. God gave me a promise, and I was telling everyone it. I’m so crazy that I’m telling everyone, ‘God’s going to deliver me from this.’”

During his trial, according to the story, "prosecutors stunned everyone when they suddenly dropped charges, citing the recent emergence of new evidence which threw doubt on their case. Cichy walked free, declaring it was 'part of God’s plan.'"  He says, "God is 100% real, 100% active, 100% personal, and you can 100% experience him every day.”

The Chicago Tribune reported that, "Cichy’s lawyer, Jay Fuller, called the turn of events 'one of the most incredible situations I’ve ever seen in my life.'"

In Jerusalem over 2000 years ago, there was a turnaround that occurred: an innocent man was sentenced to death - His Father, throughout the ages, and proclaimed what He would do and that He ultimately would be released from death.  God did it, and we have been brought into eternal life through that act of love and sacrifice.

John Cichy was destined for prison, but God led him to stay the course and not accept a lesser sentence. He was following in the footsteps of our Savior, who completely, totally, paid the penalty for our sins, and because He was innocent, He could not be defeated by death.  Because of His life, we can enjoy new life, as well. We were under a death sentence, and we were guilty, but Jesus has released us and enables us not to be held back by guilt, but to walk in freedom because of His forgiveness. He has granted us the ability to confess our sins and to experience that forgiveness consistently.