"Life"

  Only Jesus can give one life. Not human life but a life that comes only from God. It is a life of awakening. It a life of power and sustaining against evil. A life that reaches beyond the physical. It is a life that has nothing to do with one's circumstances and everything to do with God. Jesus said it was the Father who raises the dead and gives them life and the Son gives life to whom He wishes (John 5:21). Jesus taught that He came to give God's life in abundance (John 10:10). And how was that new life going to be accomplished? By laying down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

  Jesus explains that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone. It's simply a grain of wheat with no life! But if it dies it bears much fruit (John 12:24). When we look closely at this, Jesus was speaking of Himself first and then about all those who want God's life from Him (John 12:25). Jesus knew His hour of death was quickly approaching but also was His resurrection of life!

  What does all this mean? It teaches us that our life with the Father and His Son begins at and is sustained in the cross of Christ! Life begins when one looks closely and embraces the death of Jesus because He alone has risen to fullness of life and it took the cross to bring that about. We need to realize that the cross is the way to life!! His cross must be the way to our life!! The cross is not about death but about life. Listen to Paul: "I've been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) Paul lives through the dying with Jesus. Jesus lives. Paul died and he lives with Jesus because Jesus alone possesses eternal life!

  Why do we struggle so? Why do we fail? Maybe our failure is because we haven't died with Jesus? Maybe we haven't given ourselves over completely, realizing we were immersed (baptized) into Christ and into His death (Rom. 6:3-4)? If you haven't died, you cannot have life. You remain alone producing in your life what you are by yourself! Jesus died and arose to life. He beat death and He alone possesses that life and will give that life to whom He wishes. And to whom does He wish to give that life? To those who have died with Him because there they find life and bear much fruit in His life.