When one thinks about the world, certain dates come to mind which forever changed the course of history; dates on which we declare “before” and “after.”
Dec. 7, 1941. A date which will live in infamy.
Aug. 6, 1945. Nuclear weapons are used for the first time and the world enters an “after” stage in history.
Sept. 11, 2001. A date which will live in … ignominy?
Often these “before” and “after” dates are merely the notification to the world that things have changed. “Terror” already existed, but the United States was caught up to date that day in a horrible way. But are we truly up to date today? All of these days define the world before and the world after. Do we live in recognition of this fact?
30 A.D. Jesus dies on a cross in Palestine and then is raised from the dead by the power of omnipotent God. The status quo is destroyed. There is no going back. The world has entered an “after” age. The calendar changes from Before Christ to Anno Domino, The Year of our Lord. This is the true “before” and “after” event. With the resurrection of Jesus we are now living in an after-life. Or at least we ought to be.
The problem we face today and every day is that we are finite, forgetful creatures. The average citizen probably cannot tell you the significance of Dec. 7, having forgotten its meaning. We remember Sept. 11 because it is closer, but do we remember how that date changed our lives in the days that followed? We remember that Jesus died on a cross and was raised again, but do we remember the significance of that event daily? Do we live in the reality of the after-life, or do we still live as though Jesus had not died yet?
“After” times carry a certain amount of responsibility. After Dec. 7, the United States was at war and on its way to becoming a super power. After Aug. 6, the nuclear age began; all life could now be snuffed out in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye. After Sept. 11, Americans realized that people in the world still wanted to kill us. We realized peace was an illusion.
After the Resurrection, mankind could no longer live the same way. Those who believe in Jesus gain the responsibility of living in the age of Christ. The old perspective has passed away and the new perspective has come. While we were dead in sin, all suffering was considered to be categorically evil. It reminded us of our mortality and acquainted us with death. But this was before. “After” Christ, Paul proclaims a new view on suffering: “rejoice!” If we did not know him better, we might think Paul a masochist. Paul, rejoicing in his own suffering, admonishes believers in Philippians 2:17-18 to rejoice as well because he suffers for their sakes. In Philippians 1:29-30, Paul views suffering as granted by God, a gift. Paul’s goal was that he “may know him [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death; in order that [he] may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3:10-11). Paul viewed suffering as a gift from God to draw him closer to Jesus.
Today many people fear suffering more than death, but this should not be for the believer. Suffering is not to be feared. It is redeemed by the cross. Jesus has been raised from the dead and time has shifted. The world is “after.” Let us live this “after”-life.
