Title: Religion of the Living
Contents
The biggest concern of all religions in this world is the issue of death and the issue after death. Therefore, modern people think that religion is a concern of those who are on the verge of death and has nothing to do with themselves. Buddhist temples are understood to be places of ossuary, and Christianity in the past in the West made the dead body appear to be a religion in a cemetery, buried around the church. However, as the angel proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus here said to the disciples who came to see the dead body, “Why do you seek the living among the dead,” Christianity is a religion that believes in the living God and makes humans alive. It is a religion that makes us prosperous and a religion that allows us to live forever. Christianity is a characteristic feature. This is the blessing of the true meaning of the resurrection of Jesus that we have today.
First of all, the resurrection of Jesus is a concrete and historical proof that our God is an eternally living God. It proves that the living God is not a God who sits still, but a God who works, who examines and guides human destiny and history. Our God, proved by the resurrection of Christ, is not in control only beyond death, but is the God who intervenes and cares for all of our lives, and who lives and guides us even now.
Next, Christianity, which believes in the living God, is not only a religion that makes people prosper, but also a religion that allows them to live forever. In the movie "Quo Vadis," we saw the early Christians who were taken to the Roman amphitheater just because they were Christians and became the food of lions, hugging each other and singing hymns to end their bodies. And you know that when the Titanic, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, was wrecked and sank, the passengers on the sinking ship sank along with the ship, singing the hymn "Near My Lord". Why do they sing praises before they die? Because the eternal God believed that your death was a body and not a soul to them, and that eternal life was guaranteed by the grace of Jesus Christ.
As I approached the threshold of death, I realized that physical death was nothing, and really, my biggest concern was what would happen to my soul, my children, and the souls of my parents after they crossed this threshold of death. Christianity is a religion that guarantees eternal life to those who believe in him, and the evidence of that is proved by Jesus himself through his resurrection.
Today I will tell you a clear fact, using the name of Jesus Christ and the living God as my witness. You who believe in Jesus Christ will live forever. Physical death is crossing the threshold, taking off old clothes, and entering into a greater blessing. Everyone has nothing to fear once they solve the life-and-death problem. The spirit of a true Christian is like the spirit of a hero who transcends life and death. We are people who have already been guaranteed the blessing of eternal life. The hymn we sing today praises this emotion, and the Easter service we worship today is a service to give thanks for this blessing and grace.