A Risen Existence
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Theologian Paula Gooder describes how Jesus’s resurrection would have been interpreted as a sign that the end times—of justice, mercy, and love—had begun:
To a lot of Jews living at the time of Jesus, believing that a resurrection had happened would have meant believing that the end times … had already started.
No wonder, then, that the earliest disciples struggled to get their heads around Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus had risen from the dead but no one else had; Jesus had risen from the dead but the world was, apparently, no different from the way it had been before: the Romans still occupied Palestine, the poor were still the poor, Israel was still downtrodden. A lot of the New Testament writers made sense of this by seeing Jesus’ resurrection as a radical and transforming event which changed the world now…. For them, Jesus’ resurrection signaled far, far more than a dead person living; it marked the start of a whole new way of being. The end times had begun, but not in their entirety. [1]
We can be encouraged by glimpses of resurrection in the here and now:
The world is as it always was with its wars, heartache, poverty, and oppressions, but … in the midst of conflict and aggression, we can, from time to time, see moments of reconciliation and of compassion. Occasions when the parent of a murdered son can forgive his killers, when a community can rise against the gangs that terrorize it and make it a better place, when we can rise above the petty arguments that spoil our human relationships are, for me, all a slice of the end times now. Some are dramatic world-changing occasions; others are small and apparently insignificant. Some affect whole nations and continents; others one or two individuals. The occasions may only be momentary and we quickly move back into the harsh reality of the everyday, but their effects linger, suggesting that new creation is possible and that transformation can happen.…
Belief in the resurrection is an act of rebellion against the evil, corruption and oppression that can so easily swamp us. Believing in the resurrection can be a refusal to accept the world as it is, that it can never change…. Believing in resurrection allows us to see the world with a long view, a perspective that looks backward to resurrection and forwards to the end times, recognizing traces of resurrection and end times in what is happening now. Believing in the resurrection can and should transform not only how we view the world, but how we live in it. We should become people in whom others can see new life, and people who introduce that new life wherever the world is stultifying and life-denying. Resurrection makes a difference not only to Jesus and the earliest disciples but also to us, as we live out our lives day by day.
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Jesus Calling Sarah Young
Trust Me in every detail of your life. Nothing is random in My kingdom. Everything that happens fits into a pattern for good, to those who love Me. Instead of trying to analyze the intricacies of the pattern, focus your energy on trusting Me and thanking Me at all times. Nothing is wasted when you walk close to Me. Even your mistakes and sins can be recycled into something good, through My transforming grace.
While you were still living in darkness, I began to shine the Light of My Presence into your sin-stained life. Finally, I lifted you up out of the mire into My marvelous Light. Having sacrificed My very Life for you, I can be trusted in every facet of your life.
RECOMMENDED BIBLE VERSES:
Joshua 10:14-15 NLT
14 There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day! 15 Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal. (Related scriptures = Exodus 14:4, Deuteronomy 1:30, Joshua 10:6, Joshua 43)
Romans 8:28 NLT
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Related scriptures = Ephesians 1:11 & 3:11, 2nd Timothy 1:9)
Additional insight regarding Romans 8:28: God works in “everything” – not just isolated incidents – for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-term good. Not that God is not working to make us happy but to fulfill his purpose. Note also that this promise is not for everybody. It can be claimed only by those who love God and are called by Him, that is, those whom the Holy Spirit convinces to receive Christ. Such people have a new perspective, a new mindset. They trust in God, not in worldly treasures; their security is in Heaven, not on earth. Their faith in God does not waver in pain and persecution because they know God is with them.
Psalm 40:2 NLT
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. (Related scriptures = Psalm 27:5 & 69:1-2, Jeremiah 38:6)
Additional insight regarding Psalm 40:1-3: Waiting for God to help us is not easy, but David received four benefits from waiting:
1) God lifted him out of despair
2) God set his feet on solid ground
3) God steadies him as he walked
4) God put a new song of praise in his mouth.
Often blessings cannot be received unless we go through the trial of waiting.
1st Peter 2:9 NLT
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (Related scriptures = Exodus 19:5-6, Deuteronomy 7:6 & 10:15, Isaiah 43:20-21, 1st Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:6)
Additional insight regarding 1st Peter 2:9: Christians sometimes speak of “the priesthood of all believers.” In Old Testament times, people did not approach God directly. A priest acted as an intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With Christ’s victory on the cross, that pattern changed. Now we can come directly into God’s presence without fear (Hebrews 4:16), and we are given the responsibility of bringing others to him also (2nd Corinthians 5:18-21). When we are united with Christ as members of his body, we join in his priestly work of reconciling God and people.
Additional insight regarding 1st Peter 2:9-10: People often base their self-concept on their accomplishments. But our relationship with Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as his very own, and we have been called to represent him to others. Remember that your value comes from being one of God’s children, not from what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God does, not because of what you do.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I trust You with every aspect of my life. I know nothing is random in Your kingdom, and You work all things for good for those who love You. Instead of analyzing out of a desire to be in control, I choose to focus on trusting and thanking You always in all circumstances.
Thank You for lifting me out of darkness and transforming my mistakes into something good. Help me to live out Your purpose for me and to show Your goodness to others.
Amen.
