I know He “lives,” as in “continues to do so,” but that’s not my point.
The next time you read through the Gospel record, take note of how many times the Lord performed a miracle for His own personal gain. What you’ll learn is happens exactly zero times. Jesus never expended supernatural energy to turn caterpillars into Snickers bars or rocks into cupcakes. He didn’t instantly transport Himself from Nazareth to Jerusalem, and back again, so as to avoid the long and dreary journey. He did many amazing miracles, but always with a purpose, and always so that someone else could benefit from them.
Jesus never took shortcuts.
He understood, better than anyone else ever could, that the gift of life is a precious thing, and that life is short (not just for Him, but for all of us). Thus, while He walked this earth, He did so without cutting corners. And that got me thinking about something… I think, more than anyone else, the Lord experienced the fullness of life as it was meant to be lived. He didn’t “live life to the fullest,” the way the world thinks of it. He didn’t waste His life with sinful, excessive living, but He did live. He lived a godly life.
He sang, He fellowshipped, He ate meals with loved ones, He held children, He kissed His friends, He wept at gravesides, He loved, He taught, He prayed, He worshipped.
He lived.
And in so living, He left us an example to follow, so that we can appreciate what living life really means.
~Matthew