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Beautiful Descent

Beautiful Descent - The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview

By Matthew Guerino|Published Date: November 02, 2009

[We are] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
2 Corinthians 4:10-11

 

Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge is home to many breathtaking, postcard-worthy waterfalls. Crystal clear snow melt descends from 11,000 foot tall Mt. Hood and winds its way down to the sheer-sided cliffs of the Gorge, where it cascades over the edge in stunning displays of thunderous noise and foam. The stone walls at the base of these falls are blanketed with greenery. Mosses, ferns, shrubs, and even trees cling to the sides of the cliffs, thriving on the spray of the waterfall that billows out in all directions, drenching everything within reach. These green basins are reminders that the falls are more than pretty natural features; they’re conduits of life. They are the path by which clear water from the mountain makes its way down into the valley to bring life to the lowlands – a beautiful descent.

 

These waterfalls are more than just postcard pictures, they’re also an appropriate picture of the Christian life.

 

The Bible describes how Jesus left the throne of heaven – the very source of life – and was willing to descend into this broken, cursed world. He brought the life of heaven to earth – a beautiful descent. Then, in 2 Corinthians 4, Paul tells us this is also a picture of our role in the world as Christians. With the life of heaven now resident in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we mimic Jesus’ mission. We fully engage with the broken world around us and, just like Jesus did, we experience some of that brokenness in the process.

 

But in so doing, the otherworldly life of Christ within us is manifested, made more visible in our actions. Just as a waterfall brings the life of the highlands down to the lowlands, Christians are to be conduits of the life of Jesus to a broken world. As people encounter a Christian, they should experience the heavenly love, grace, and peace of Jesus in the way that Christian interacts with them. That encounter may be the first taste of real life they’ve ever had.



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6 Comments

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  1. Damien makes this comment

    2010-03-05 10:18:48

    Thanks man, it worked.

  2. Gunnar makes this comment

    2010-03-05 10:03:15

    It does work for me, thanks

  3. Matt Guerino makes this comment

    2009-11-08 10:32:24

    Lidj, I love the heart of trust that comes through in your words. Throughout the Old Testament God longs for a people who will trust him rather than their own eyes. In fact, that's at the heart of wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6) and I see that heart in you. I too think God heals, now. Sometimes. Yet even then, healing is temporary now. All the people Jesus cured in the Gospels still died, as will everyone he heals today unless he returns soon. The healing he does now points to the fact that he is the *ultimate* healer, the one who has conquered death itself and will one day vanquish it altogether. He is the great Fixer of life, which we broke in our rebellion. So even the healing God does now is a pointer to the final healing he will do then: the great Hope of the Christian life. Blessings to you dear sister!

  4. Lidj makes this comment

    2009-11-07 22:28:08

    Matt, this is another post of yours that I heartily agree with. One of my biggest struggles in the area of healing and wholeness is the promise that God is Jehovah Rophe, the God that Heals. In the psalms and in the gospels it is an oft repeated phrase -- He heals us from ALL our diseases. Now. Not in the future. Then you come face to face with people who are far from healed. I believe in physical healing. Our ministry believes it. We minister healing to many -- and some are actually healed, but not ALL. I leave all my questions at the feet of Jesus. It will not weaken my faith in His healing powers. He is too wise to be mistaken. He is too good to be untrue to His promises... We are to be conduits of life to this broken world. I believe brokenness and weakness have a place in His eternal plan. Thank you for this post. Blessings, Lidj

  5. Matt Guerino makes this comment

    2009-11-02 23:46:47

    Ronnie: it certainly is. All my life I've agreed with the idea that God's "fingerprints" are all over his handiwork. But the more time I spend reflecting on what he's said in the Bible, and how those truths are reflected both in the physical world and in arts & culture, the more I realize how true that really idea is. It all makes me love God that much more.

  6. Ronnie Lee makes this comment

    2009-11-02 14:54:42

    Matt: I like your portrayal of Christ being the life-giving water and Christians being conduits, little streams, of the water. Isn't it neat how the Creator left so many object lessons about Himself?

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