Thus far in Handel’s Messiah, we have been assured that the Messiah comforts us. And that the Messiah is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!

Now, in the final Part of Handel’s Messiah, he puts to music the Scriptures that assure me that I will see God in my flesh even after I have died. (Job 19:25-26).

Handel put to music this wonderful good news written by the Apostle Paul:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

“The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).

Hallelujah! This is indeed Good News!

The assurances of these Scriptures are completely contrary to the mistaken views of so many religions and philosophies.

We are not comforted by accepting the corruption of our bodies. When Jesus stood at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus didn’t tell us to follow a philosophy or religion that taught us to accept death. Jesus wept. And then Jesus overcame death by raising Lazarus back to life.

As Handel put it in music:

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?”

“[T]hanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

“If God be for us, who can be against us.” (Romans 8:31).

These Scriptures do not tell us to be comforted by accepting that our individual life has merged into a nation, a philosophy, a religion, ideology, cyberspace, Humanity, Earth (Gaia), or the Universe(s).

As I wrote in “The Truth of Christmas” and “The Truth of Easter” in my book Visions of the Church, at pages 167-170:

[I]t would take an entire book to cover the Universal Church Councils adequately.

Furthermore, one would need Ph.D. educations in philosophy, theology, ancient languages, Roman history, and Church history in order to fully understand the Universal Church Councils and their [successive] decisions.

Only then could someone grasp the relevant teachings of the Scriptures, the theological mysteries of the theologians, the quarrels of the philosophers, and the passions of the politicians.

For our purposes, it will suffice to think of The Nicene Creed (and additional statements of faith that other Universal Church Councils adopted) as affirming the truth of Christmas and the truth of Easter . . . because these early creeds often focused primarily on the nature and meaning of the Incarnation, the death, and the Resurrection of Jesus.

What is the truth of Christmas? What is the nature and meaning of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ?

What is the truth of Easter? What is the nature and meaning of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

It would take entire books to cover these truths that light the world—these visions of truth that light Humanity. Here are some highlights.

The Truth of Christmas

The truth of Christmas is that Jesus is fully God and fully human. And although this is a mystery that seems impossible, it is nevertheless true.

How can it be? Because what is impossible with humans, is possible with God. (Luke 18:27).

The truth of Christmas is that Jesus is God Incarnate. One title that the Bible gives Jesus is “Immanuel”, a name that means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:22). Therefore, the God who spoke the heavens and the earth into being (Genesis Chapter One) is also the Jesus [who embodied the Spirit of the LORD and walked among us] blessing children, welcoming sinners, weeping with those who weep, washing the feet of those in need, [and laughing with us].

The truth of Christmas is that God cares about each one of us. God is not merely far away tending the birth of new stars. God is near at hand, tending the birth of each baby.

God is not merely counting the millennia while Humanity gains technological prowess. God is counting the hairs on each person’s head. God is not merely watching as the galaxy turns. God is watching each sparrow that falls (Matthew 10:29-31).

The truth of Christmas is that each person is eternally, infinitely important. “[W]hoever welcomes a little child . . . welcomes [Jesus Christ]” (Matthew 18:5). There is a “kingdom prepared . . . since the creation of the world” for those who give a hungry person something to eat, those who give a thirsty person something to drink, who give shelter to a stranger, who give clothes to a need person, who look after a sick person, or who visit a prisoner. (Matthew 25:34-36). “[E]ternal life” awaits the person who performs such tiny acts of kindness, but “eternal fire” and “eternal punishment” await each person who neglects to perform such tiny acts of kindness as unto the Lord Jesus himself (Matthew 25:41-43,46).

The truth of Christmas is that our lives have meaning. There is a true union between spiritual values and physical realties. Faith, hope and love exist in history, not merely in myth.

The truth of Christmas is that God is a person. That is why God could only be perfectly revealed by becoming flesh and dwelling among us as a person[—Jesus, the Messiah]. And that is why we can only know God perfectly by having a personal relationship with God, our Friend.

We cannot be a friend to a human merely by thinking thoughts, learning facts, and following rules [about our friend]. [We must put our friendship into action. (See James 2:14-18). We must laugh with our friend. We must weep with our friend. We must hope the best for our friend. We must hug our friend.

Similarly, we cannot be a friend to God merely by thinking thoughts, learning facts, and following rules. Being a friend to God requires the engagement of our whole personality—our laughter, our tears, our hopes, our hugs.

By living among us, Jesus revealed that God is such a person—such a friend to us. Jesus laughed. Jesus wept. (John 11:35). Jesus hoped. (John 4:35). And Jesus hugged (Matthew 8:1-3; Mark 10:16).

The truth of Christmas—that Jesus came in the flesh and God dwelt among us—brings peace on earth . . . and peace for all Humanity.

The Truth of Easter

The truth of Easter is that Jesus rose from the dead. And although this historical fact seems impossible, it nevertheless is true.

How can it be? Because what is impossible with humans is possible with God.

The truth of Easter is that our sins are forgiven. On the Cross, Jesus bore the punishment for our sins. Now, instead of suffering eternal death, we can enjoy eternal life. And because our sins are forgiven by God and forgotten by God, we can forget what lies behind and press on to what is ahead: “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14-17 KJV).

The truth of Easter is that we need no longer fear death. We should weep at the tombs of those we love just as Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). However, we should not grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For we believe that we shall meet again those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. We will laugh with them again. We will hug them again. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The truth of Easter is that there is always hope (Job 14:7). No matter how much it looks as if we have failed. No matter how much it looks as if evil has triumphed. There is still hope.

Therefore, we must still keep the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7).

We must still keep loving (Matthew 24:12-13).

Because, in God’s good time and in God’s good way, God will bring good from evil (Genesis 50:19-20; Exodus 7:3-5), healing from suffering (Job 42:1-6; Isaiah 53:4-5, 10-12), and life from death (Ezekiel 37:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:12-26).

How?

Although this is impossible for humans, it is possible for God.

For “in all things God works together for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). Nothing “shall separate us from the love of Christ.” Not “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword” (Romans 8:35). “[I]n all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For . . . neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

The truth of Easter gives joy to the world—joy for all Humanity !

No wonder Handel concludes the Messiah with joyous strains that put to music:

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honor, glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:12-14).

“Amen.”

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Do you believe that after death you will stand before God in an incorruptible, redeemed body? How? How not? Why? Why not?

Do you believe that after death you will merge into a nation, a philosophy, a religion, an ideology, cyberspace, Humanity, Earth (Gaia), or the Universe(s). How? How not? Why? Why not?

READ MORE

For related ideas,

please read my blogs “Overcoming Oceans of Despair”, “Overcoming Oceans of Hopeless Confusion”, “Overcoming Oceans of Fears”, “Overcoming Oceans of Doubts”, and “Overcoming  Oceans of Failures; and

please read “Part Seven: Jesus Resurrects Hope by Defeating Death” in my book Hoping in the LORD, at 295-333.