I have never been a fan of scary movies. Part of the reason is that I still vividly remember images from one I saw in my younger and more foolish days. The premise was that a terrible virus was ravaging humanity – one bite from another infected human being and you turned into a walking dead person. Yes, it was one of the first, but certainly not the last, “zombie” movies. More recently, the TV show “Walking Dead” has been one of the most popular TV shows of all time over eight seasons.
But did you know there were zombies in the Bible? Well, not exactly… Jesus told the man who wanted to put off following Him, so he could bury his father, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Luke 9:60. Paul actually says that it’s the condition of everyone who doesn’t believe in Christ. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” Eph. 2:1. Without Christ we may be physically alive but are spiritually dead. Merriam Webster defines dead as “deprived of life; lacking power to move, feel, or respond: incapable of being stirred emotionally or intellectually” (and I would add, spiritually).
In John 3 Nicodemus had it all. He was well respected, successful, and powerful. But Jesus tells him he’s still missing something. He needs to be “born again”. Even though he was breathing, walking, and talking, there was a part of him that was totally inadequate for navigating eternal life. And the worst part of his “disease” was that his intense dedication and devotion to “religion” had only made it worse! Not only was he spiritually dead, he was completely oblivious to it.
On Sunday we’ll see this disease for what it really is. It’s not passed along by a bite, it comes from becoming proud and self-righteous, especially when accompanied by religious rules and regulations. Church can be the worst place to catch this disease and no amount of hand sanitizer can protect you! Thankfully we also have God’s antidote – the grace and mercy of life in Jesus’ name. Join us as celebrate our new life in communion with Christ through worship, fellowship, instruction from God’s Word, as well as the bread and the cup of Christ.
Alive in Christ,
Kurt