April 11th: National Cheese Fondue Day. Coming on April 17th, National Kick Ball Day. Skip those made-up holidays. Eastertide celebrations continue!

The 50 days of Eastertide proclaim the impact of Jesus’ resurrection. Instead of a single Sunday, Eastertide extends the history-changing event from Easter until the Holy Spirit arrives on Pentecost. Twenty first century Christians join the first disciples who discussed the meaning of the resurrection for 50 days—the first 40 in the company and under the instruction of the resurrected Jesus (Acts 1:3) and 10 more after His ascension.

Jesus’ resurrection creates the path for our own resurrection in the last days. But a spiritual resurrection occurs much sooner. When we decide to give our lives to Christ, we are raised from our dead life, freed from sin’s death penalty. A baptism of immersion symbolizes this death and resurrection. Submerged beneath the water, we are buried with Christ. Symbolically we die to our old life. Emerging from the water, we rise to new life through Christ’s Spirit.

Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:4-5 

Late one night, Jesus explains being born of the Spirit to Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews and prominent Pharisee. Nicodemus leaves confused. Impossible! An adult can’t re-enter his mother’s womb! The concept makes no sense to Nick’s well-educated mind. (John 3:1-21)

Come to the Kingdom like a child…

New life means new birth. We are newborns in faith, children with no status, privilege, or influence but eager to learn.

Children observe, explore, and absorb their surroundings, imitating their elders. Unafraid of other’s opinions, they ask endearing questions adults might be embarrassed to ask themselves. Little ones explore new ideas with wide-eyed wonder. They lack life experiences that color their perception.

Let the children come to me. For the Kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children.
Matthew 19:14

Experimenting, a child pushes the cube into the round hole while an adult already knows it won’t fit. We reject ideas that conflict with our experience and knowledge. Even the most receptive person can be disillusioned, skeptical, and distrustful.

I think of the Apostle Paul, a rising star among the Pharisees on a mission to destroy the Jesus movement because it contradicts traditional Jewish custom. The well-educated man knew what he knew what he knew. He confidently imprisoned and murdered believers.

Then the Jewish scholar encounters the risen Christ.

Riding to Damascus on mission, Jesus’ brilliance blinds Paul and throws him off his horse. Instantly the strong leader becomes fully dependent on his men. Acts 9 recounts the full story of Paul’s 3 days in blindness, God’s grace in restoring his sight, and his profession of Jesus as Lord.

Over the next 3 years, Paul unlearns what he is so certain he knows and learns God’s truth. When he is mature in faith, Paul becomes the great evangelist.

In baby steps, new believers adapt to their new life in the kingdom. We grow up and mature in Christ, imitating Jesus, practicing His ways and adopting the values of God’s family. Maturing continues for the rest of our lives.

The more humbling task is unlearning what we think we know.

Some describe the Kingdom of God as upside down or counter intuitive. Absolutely. The world’s ways contradict God’s ways in love, belonging, dignity, retaliation, grace… I’ll bet you can name a dozen more.

When we don’t unlearn the world’s ways, we’re prone to reject Jesus’ teachings as impossible, impractical, and illogical. We question the feasibility of God’s ways: Love your enemies? Don’t worry about tomorrow? Prioritize spiritual treasure over material possessions?

Believers break with the old life and embrace their life in Christ with childlike receptivity.

Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 18:4

YOUR TURN:

• Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.
• Which statements contradict what you know that you know that you know?
• What worldly values do you need to unlearn in order to better adopt God’s ways?

Learn the steps to take to transform your life or read about Nicodemus from a 2014 post

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