Genesis 45 Thoughts

Is Death the End?

If you've ever lost someone you love, you might have had dreams about them afterward. In these dreams, you have your loved one back! You can talk to them, touch them, be with them. The joy of this surreal experience can be overwhelming — and so can the return to reality when you wake up.⁠

But I want to focus on that joy for a moment. Because, for the Christian, that joy is more than just a dream. It's a promise (John 11:25).

We get hints of the resurrection all throughout the Bible — including in this story of Joseph. Joseph's brothers believed he was gone forever. They had sold him into slavery after all. For all they knew, he was dead.

Then, in the place they least expected, there he was. Their brother Joseph was alive and back with them! It was as if he had been brought back to life.

This moment points us to Jesus. When Jesus went to the cross, He took our place, dying for our sins so that we could be saved. The theological impact of this truth can't be missed, but we also shouldn't forget this simple fact: Jesus really died. The disciples were huddled in the upper room, mourning for their friend who had been buried for three days.

And in that moment, Jesus appeared among them (John 20:19). He was resurrected — brought back to life! And His resurrection made it possible for all of us to be resurrected as well (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).

Someday, this will happen for all those who are in Christ — our bodies will be physically regenerated and glorified (Philippians 3:20-21). That's something wonderful to look forward to, but it's also something we experience spiritually right now. In Christ, our souls that were once dead in sin are now made alive again (Ephesians 2:4-5). We are already experiencing new life in Him, and that new life is eternal.

From Joseph to Jesus to us, our God is the God who resurrects.

(Originally written September 15, 2020)