"The body was in the grave till Easter-morrow, and from that time He lay nevermore....And our foul deadly flesh that God's Son took on Him....was then by our Saviour made fair, new, white and bright and of endless cleanness."
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 51)
He has taken on all the pains and struggles we experience in our human flesh. He has felt hunger, sorrow, temptation, tiredness, pain and death. He is part of the human experience, but He is not overcome by it. Instead, He has transformed it and transfigured it. He infused human flesh and blood with divine life, transforming earthly man into heavenly man. He rose in a body that is a resurrection body, a glorified body. It is "fair, new, white and bright and of endless cleanness." In our union with Him we also have been raised to newness of life, and we partake even now of this resurrection life, for we have the true and original Heavenly Man dwelling inside us as our very life. Right now there is a wholeness, completeness, brightness and beauty that is flowing through us, invigorating every part of us with heavenly life. This life is carrying us through, bringing hope to desperation, bringing joy to sorrow, bringing freshness to exhaustion, bringing health to weakness. We are carried along by a Life that is so much better, stronger, clearer and greater than anything we have ever known. It is a Life with no pain in it, no anguish, no anxiety, no weakness, no lack. His life has overtaken all our deaths. His life has swallowed up all the darkness. His life is flowing in us and through us, full and free and endlessly beautiful. His life is our life, now and forevermore!
"Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."
Romans 6:4 (NLT)
"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life."
Colossians 3:3-4 (MSG)
A Prayer: I'm living a new life in You.