The Paradox of Life and Death – by Greg Albrecht
Friend and Partner Letter from April 2025:
“… I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
Jesus says those who believe in him will live, even though they die, but yet, those who believe in him will never die. This paradoxical statement, while it has many layers of beautiful and wonderful Christ-centered truth, at its essence and core proclaims that Jesus is both resurrection and life. Death does not terminate life in Christ. Death is not the end, not for Jesus and not for you!
This paradoxical truth about Jesus is this: When our physical lives are over, for us, as Christ-followers who believe in him, our story has not ended. Given the power that death seemingly has, many believe that when physical existence is over, then there is nothing more. But for those who believe that Jesus has defeated death and the grave, death is not the end!
Through this paradoxical and dogmatic statement of Jesus in John 11:25-26, we are offered a choice: 1) will we believe in Jesus, and thus experience now his risen life and then, after the death of our bodies, to live in and with him eternally? OR 2) will be believe in the power of death, which ends all, after which there is no hope nor any eternal reality?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is the glorious Light revealing that the darkness of death has been overcome. By the victory of Jesus on his cross, death is no longer a prison.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the certainty and assurance that the love, mercy and grace of God can be forced into a grave, but it won’t stay there.
Humanity can nail the love, mercy and grace of God to a cross, and confine it to a tomb, but it will rise, for it is eternal and lives that death may die and new life in Christ be given.
Will we believe in eternal life or eternal death? Will we believe in Jesus, or will we believe that there is no hope beyond the grave? John 11:25-26 is a paradox, through which profound truth – eternal hope – faith beyond the grave – is offered. John 11:25-26 is the paradox of new life in and through our risen Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of God.
A paradox is a seemingly illogical and even absurd statement that appears to be self-contradictory but when pondered and considered reveals truth through the way it reconciles conflicting opposites. A paradox is a truth that seems to contradict itself. A paradox is a puzzle and thus attracts our attention and curiosity.
But a paradox is not merely a figure of speech that finds deeper meaning through apparent contradictory thoughts or values, because as those of us who have been around the block a few times know, life is filled with enigmas, inconsistencies and mysteries. Life itself is a bit of a paradox. Much wisdom relies on accepting that things are not always what they seem, on the surface.
The Son of God being conceived by the Virgin Mary is rejected as an impossibility by many, because it is not logical nor has it every happened to anyone else. Because they consider the virgin birth to be an impossibility, many (including within Christendom) believe it did not happen as the Gospels report. The virgin birth is a paradox – it is an impossible enigma, a contradiction, because virgins do not conceive. But Mary did!
The Bible claims that God is our Creator. For many, this assertion is a paradox, because, to the human mind, something must always come from something – in the human experience “something” never comes from nothing. Existence from non-existence is a paradox – a contradiction. But God brought the universe into being out of nothing. Matter did not always exist. God made it. The Latin term for creation out of nothing is “Creatio ex nihlo”—it’s the paradox that God needs nothing that pre-exists his creation in order to accomplish his creation.
Following Jesus Christ, on the Jesus Way – living his way of life – is a life composed of many humanly perceived contradictions. It’s a way of life that seems illogical and perhaps even foolish.
There are many paradoxes that are foundational to the gospel of Jesus Christ, including:
- If you want to live, you must “die” first. Life in Christ is realized only by surrendering, giving up and losing the life one prefers to live in favor of following Jesus.
- The truly rich are poor in spirit, those who are spiritually strong admit their weaknesses.
- The first shall be last, the last shall be first; the least the greatest and the greatest the least.
- Those who are exalted are brought low.
- Greatness is realized and experienced by those who serve others.
- Those who live in Christ walk by faith, not by sight – thus God’s children, transformed new men and women in Christ, see unseen things through the eyes of faith.
- We find rest in Christ by yielding to him, admitting our need, and allowing him to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves,
- It is in giving that we receive. It is in “casting our bread on the waters” (Ecclesiastes 11:1) that we realize scattering and sharing is gaining.
- We can only serve others in Jesus’ name when and as Jesus himself serves us.
- God loves us because he is good, in spite ofwho we are and how we behave.
- By God’s grace we receive what we do not deserve and by his mercy spared that which we do deserve.
The Cross of Christ and his resurrection are the twin pillars, the twin foundations of our faith.
Jesus defined life as experienced by those of us who willingly follow him as picking up our own individual cross. Paul further defined new life by those of us who willingly follow Jesus as the Jesus Way in which our risen Lord lives his life in us.
The Cross and The Resurrection are paradoxes – life in Christ is not one big bed of roses, not at all a day at the beach. While he is victorious in his resurrection, he is once and forever our suffering servant.
Accepting life in Christ is to accept that his way of new life is better than the inevitable death of life apart from him. For that reason Jesus said those who believe in him will never die (John 11:26).
The Cross and The Empty Tomb are symbols of living hope, announcing that God paradoxically brings victory out of the ashes of what we humans perceive as defeat. The Cross is apparent weakness and defeat – in 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul says that the cross is “foolishness” to the human mind.
The Cross and The Empty Tomb are monuments to the revelation of God in Christ; monuments to the solidarity of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; monuments to good news beyond human suffering, and good news for all victims of horrific abuse, hatred, torture and murder. Jesus is always, again paradoxically and mysteriously, with us as our suffering servant.
The Cross and The Resurrection are two acts of the same drama – the love of God revealed in its breathtaking glory on the cross and the amazing hope of the glorious resurrection and life eternal.
The Cross is the sign of the God who suffers with and for us and alongside of us, accompanying us on our journey of anguish is this life of flesh, with The Empty Tomb – the glorious resurrection – bringing healing and hope and consolation that God will always win in the end. Always.
The Cross and The Empty Tomb are signs of the deepest and greatest love in all the universe.
The resurrection of Jesus tells us, resoundingly, with victorious acclaim, that death is not the end of the story. For those of us who follow Jesus Christ and believe on and in him, this human life, with all of its failures, shame, hurt, pain, loss and defeat, is not what it appears to be.
What a glorious paradox the Cross and the Resurrection represent and reveal – thanks be to God for his tender mercies and glorious grace.
By the grace of God and the full revelation of his love, our Lord Jesus is risen – be comforted by and rejoice in him. May we find hope, joy and courage to face the troubles we encounter as we walk with Christ, carrying our own cross, and may we be assured of the inevitable certainty of our destination, to be at home with God, after our own resurrection.
Because of our risen Lord,
Greg Albrecht
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