Making Connections

December 11

Psalm 16:7-11, Acts 2:25-33. Philippians 3:8-16

Making Connections:

From atheists to agnostics, at every end of the spectrum of belief (or disbelief), people share a common hope: the hope of everlasting life. We see its pursuit in health fads which promise longer life; in people choosing to cryogenically freeze their bodies in the case they might be someday thawed & restored; in the metaphoric (or actual) quest for the fountain of youth; and even in obsession over vampires, who are often glorified, possessing eternal life & youth. Generally speaking, no matter what you believe, you don't want to die. And if you do, you want to come back or live another kind of life in paradise.

Rather that trusting in some other means or even his own wealth, David trusted in God for his preservation. Like Job did, he had some sense that God would not abandon him to Sheol, but that at God's hands he would find pleasures that last forever. When his life had run its course, David did die & was buried, as were his fathers & their fathers and all David's descendants after him. All except one.

The benefit of living on this side of the cross is that we have the Holy Spirit & the Bible to reveal God's truths. Peter quotes Psalm 16 in Acts 2, teaching that David's words point to Jesus & His resurrection. Jesus was the Holy One who did not see corruption, and was raised up, as witnessed by the apostles & many others who lived at that time.

What promise does this hole for us, the seekers of eternal life? According to Paul in Philippians, we have the promise of the resurrection through Jesus. Our earthly life now should be seen in that greater context. All things around us are loss compared to knowing Jesus, & we should press on toward the goal of our faith - the upward call of Jesus.

There is a reason that men seek eternal life: God has put eternity in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Eternal life is not found in a fountain or through new technology, but through the relationship with Jesus. David's prophetic words about Jesus point to resurrection, & we have been promised a resurrection as well. Seeking eternal life is not a fruitless hunt, as long as we are seeking the eternal life that comes through knowing Jesus.