We don’t know exactly how it all went down, but we do know this: Jesus was dead, and then he wasn’t. A battered corpse was stretched out on a slab, and then the heart in the ribcage started beating again. Jesus inhaled and at once the heavy air in the tomb became more than air; it became breath.
The New Testament tells us again and again that Jesus triumphed over the grave, that his body was (and is) corporeal, that he is the firstborn from the dead. Just as sure as daybreak, springtime, the sprouting of tulips, the joy of life after the groaning of labor, Jesus demonstrated his redemptive love for his creation by entering it, dying for it, and then rising from the ashes with a glorified body. In him, our best dreams have come true. C. S. Lewis knew that there were myths all around the world that whispered of a dying and resurrecting hero, and it was the realization that Jesus was the literal fulfillment of that longing that led him to faith in Christ.
You can pick up Resurrection Letters: Volume I in the Rabbit Room Store and listen to “His Heart Beats” here:
Andrew Peterson is a singer-songwriter and author. Andrew has released more than ten records over the past twenty years, earning him a reputation for songs that connect with his listeners in ways equally powerful, poetic, and intimate. As an author, Andrew’s books include the four volumes of the award-winning Wingfeather Saga, released in collectible hardcover editions through Random House in 2020, and his creative memoir, Adorning the Dark, released in 2019 through B&H Publishing.
2 Comments
Mike Aleckson
The entire work Resurrection Letters: Volume 1 and the prologue are brilliant and truly inspiring Andrew. As a teacher that’s been communicating and writing about the great big story from Genesis through Revelation after the way of N.T. Wright for years – I am thrilled with these beautiful works. They are playing constantly in my head and heart.
Thank you Andrew for bringing your gifts to the task of communicating in poetry and song the compelling message of the Kingdom to Come.
Josh Muehlendorf
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