It’s been almost three years since author Tim Keller entered the presence of His Lord and Savior. As is said of Abel, so it can be said of Tim: “he still speaks through his faith” (Hebrews 11:4, CSB).
This video clip, and what Tim says about how the resurrection changes how we face challenges, is just so powerful:
Scripture tells us that grasping the implications of the doctrine of the resurrection, and knowing that this present world will end and be resurrected into new heavens and a New Earth, should profoundly affect our daily behavior: “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God. . . . In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Peter 3:11-14).
Indeed, the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of redemption, both for mankind and for the earth. Without Christ’s resurrection and what it means—an eternal future for fully restored human beings dwelling on a fully restored Earth—there is no Christianity. And the power of Christ’s resurrection is enough not only to remake us, but also to remake every inch of the universe: mountains, rivers, plants, animals, stars, nebulae, quasars, and galaxies.
Nanci and I spoke often about what it will be like to live forever as embodied people on a resurrected earth—a world with trees, rivers, animals, music, literature, eating and drinking, reunions, new friendships, and above all, worshipping God with nothing to hinder us. Because we will continue to be God’s image-bearers, living on and reigning over a risen earth, there’s every reason to believe we will enjoy sports, drama, technology, and everything God designed human minds to come up with. Talking about this was immensely encouraging both to Nanci and to me.
The resurrection means that our grief and sorrow and pain have an expiration date. The world as it is now is under the curse, but God will lift it once and for all: “No longer will there be any curse” (Revelation 22:3). No more sin. No more cancer. No more dementia. No more suffering. No more death. God “will swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8).
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). This requires trust on our part, since the promised greater good is future and we can’t see it in the present. But instead of trusting ourselves and our limited sight, we can choose to trust the One who has an eternal plan of sovereign grace and has gone to inconceivable lengths to see that it will be accomplished.
For those who have embraced the redemptive work of Jesus, it’s not a fairy tale—we really are going to live happily ever after in Christ’s presence, to His glory and for our good. And as Tim reminds us, that magnificence should permeate our lives and our thinking today.
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