"…speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Ephesians 4:15-16
Easter remains a bold declaration of God’s triumph over death, the inauguration of a New Kingdom, a new way of being human, and a door to eternal life for all who trust in the Risen King. Oddly, the verse that found its way to the top of my mind reminded me of a different, unexpected, and often uncelebrated impact of Christ’s being raised to new life — the unity that we as believers have in Him.
Without the Resurrection, the unity of the Body of Christ would not be possible. It is in Christ and through Christ that our divisions cease, that we find ourselves bound together in common purpose, that we enjoy true community with one another, and find the grace, power, and authority to do the things that we are charged to do in His name. It is Jesus’ body — His resurrection body — that we as believers are drawn together with Him as the head. Nobody (and no body) can function without a head. That’s Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, the firstborn from among the dead. He makes our unity a possibility. And it is only by His grace and supported by the Holy Spirit that we can “work properly” and “build ourselves up in love.”
I often get asked about my job and why I do what I do. I could easily give a technical answer or some elevator pitch about Masterworks. But my real reason is this: however imperfectly, I am part of that one and the same Body that binds all believers together. The same animating Spirit that motivates the clients Masterworks has the privilege of serving also motivates me. It is my hope every day to be one of the “joints with which the Body is equipped” (a knee, a wrist, or an elbow maybe), giving the broader Body the flexibility and agility to jump, turn, and pivot.
This Holy Week, I am reminded of the privilege to be one small part of Christ’s Body and to be joined together in Him with you. I pray that God richly blesses you this Eastertide and that He might show you unexpected, amazing dimensions of the power of His Resurrection.
