Before and After

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: Phil 2:5-9

Many marketing schemes that promote self-improvement products or systems utilize the concept of “before and after”.

Before and after a diet plan
Before and after the restoration of a classic automobile
Before and after remodeling a fixer-up house
Before and after a fashion makeover
Before and after reconstructive surgery
Before and after formal training

All of these concepts have one thing in common. There is an expectation that the “after” represents a noticeable improvement over the “before”. In advertisements, the picture labeled “after” is to be preferred to the “before” snapshot. If a product claims to be able to cause you to go down four dress sizes or five inches in the waist after six weeks, it is bound to be an instant hit. The proof of the claim is typically displayed by using a “before and after” photograph of an actual customer. Likewise, those seeking to get top dollar on a restored classic automobile are apt to have before and after pictures to indicate the magnitude of work that went into the restoration so that the buyer can appreciate the full value of the labor put in by the seller. It is rare that someone would allow you to see the details of what really happens in between the “before” and the “after” unless it is to establish value of the transformation. Usually, they just want you to see the two extremes, i.e., the “before” and the “after”.

When one considers the two passages of scripture in our text today, the similarities are so striking that it would be easy to overlook the fact that they represent a “before” and an “after”. The first passage is Isaiah’s view of the pre-incarnate Christ seated in his glory. The Hebrew term that has been translated “lifted up” simply means exalted. This heavenly view of Christ in his glory is so awe inspiring that Isaiah is devastated by his own shortcomings and declares “woe is me”. He felt doomed because Christ’s glory was such a contrast to his own unrighteousness. The angelic beings worshiped and praised Christ because of his holiness. The temple’s structure trembled at his presence. All of this was before the Word became flesh. On the other hand, Paul’s declaration of Christ’s current state is that he is highly exalted (or high and lifted up) and every knee in heaven and on earth shall bow at his presence. At a distance, there appears to be no real contrast between this “before and after” description of Christ. But there is a difference and this difference occurred as in all cases between the before and the after. This difference represents an interruption in the endless succession of eternity that allowed he who is eternal to become a part of that which is known as time. Time has no significance in the eternal scheme. Moses declared that a thousand years in God’s sight is like yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night (3 hours). Yet, this sliver of time was enough time to cause the necessary change to the “after” exaltation of Christ. In that sliver of time, he who is immortal took upon himself mortality. Since the details needed to distinguish the before and the after cannot be adequately seen using Paul’s view, we should look at it from the Apostle John’s view. When John saw him, he looked like a lamb that had been slain. This reminds me of the forty days prior to him reassuming his seat on his throne in glory. It was Jesus who invited Thomas to put his finger in the holes in his hands or to thrust his hand into the opening in his side made by the Roman soldier’s spear. His after picture was scarred up and showed visible signs of physical abuse. In his after picture, he bore the scars of Calvary. How then was this after an improvement over the before? The improvement is in what is not seen. When he ascended, he led captivity captive. In other words, he overruled death not just for himself but for all that would accept him by faith as their Lord and Savior. That is the reason I celebrate today. It’s not about Easter bunnies or dyed eggs. I love those traditions but I thank God today that I heard about the “before and after” of Christ.

Today we celebrate the centerpiece of the Christian faith. Resurrection Sunday is a reminder for Christians of the one thing that distinguishes Christianity from all other religious doctrine. Like Christians, there are others that believe in one God and many claim to have a personal relationship with him. Many have claimed for years to hear voices from the gods they worshiped outside of the Judeo-Christian belief systems. However, the bodily resurrection of a man who claimed to be the son of God prior to his death should not be ignored by any serious salvation seeker nor should it be ignored by any who might be curious of phenomenon that appears to go against the natural order of things. The resurrection from the dead was not new within Judaism for it was reported on several occasions hundreds of years prior to Jesus’ resurrection. What was new was the absence of a human agent through whom God displayed his power over death. Jesus claimed that he could lay down his life and pick it up again; and the power to do so was all within him. This is not just a claim to have power over the death event itself but power over all of the ensuing consequences of death. This is power over rigor mortis, brain damage from lack of oxygen, major organ failure from lack of nutrition, and total loss of physical faculties. Jesus claimed that he is the resurrection. Not only is he the author of the resurrection event, he is the very event itself. Jesus is the resurrection. It is Jesus who is able to constantly reproduce “before and after” effects throughout the world. There’s something about a person who has had a salvific encounter with Jesus. They are just no longer the same afterwards. It may take a while to see it on the outside but there is an inward change that works its way to the outside. When a person asks Jesus to come into their heart, the after is always an improvement over the before.


Robert C. Hudson
April 12, 2009