Death = Life?

Have you ever thought about this statement? In order to sustain life, something has to die.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. We had a Reception meeting recently and watched a Rob Bell Nooma DVD called "Tomato". In it he brings across a message that in order to survive, something must die. This is true on so many different levels.

Before you can enjoy your favourite Spur (my preferred restaurant chain back in SA) spare ribs, the animal from which the meat came must be slain. It was alive but is killed in order to feed us and thus bring us life. It is similar with fruit. An apple, before it is plucked, is alive, connected to the tree that sustains it. But in order for this fruit to nourish us, it has to be picked, separated from the tree, and die. The same with the Son of God. Jesus died so that we may have life. Through belief in Him and the fact that He died and rose again, we are able to have eternal life. We can "feed" from His Word daily in order to grow spiritually.

And just as Jesus died and rose again, conquering death, so we must also "die" to our sinful natures daily - and become alive in Christ Jesus. So in a very real sense, death brings forth life - and life to the full!

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Jesus in John 11: 25 - 26a NIV