It is said that in some American prisons which still have a so-called “death row”, when a prisoner conducts his final walk to his execution the guard will shout, “dead man walking”. It tells others to get out of the way and show some sort of respect for a man about to leave this life. In New Testament times when a Roman official sentence someone to death he would shout out: “Put the cross on the man!” The horizontal beam would be strapped to the man’s body and the prisoner would carry it to the sight of his crucifixion. Is this what Jesus had in mind when he taught that those who wished to follow him must “take up his cross”? Is he not asking us to be dead men walking?
Now, you may say I see evidence of dead men walking every day. Countless people marching lifelessly from sunrise to sunset every day, bored with life and frustrated by the seaming futility of it all. This is not the kind of walking dead of which Jesus spoke. In fact whenever we read of the life God grants, whether that which he breathed into Adam to make a “living soul” (Genesis 2) or that “life abundant” courtesy of the Good Shepherd (John 10), it is the kind of life that puts hope in our hearts and a spring in our steps!
Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 that he has been crucified with Christ, the result being that the life he now lives he lives by faith in the resurrected Christ, the right kind of dead man walking. He has died with Christ and to the power of the law. The law’s power, its threat to him, lies in being able to condemn him to death. But once a person has died the law no longer has any power over him (Romans 7). This is how we satisfy the law’s demands upon us, by faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ. Our participation in Christ’s crucifixion releases us from every claim over us by the law such that we might “live to God.” And this participation is not active but passive, for we do not crucify ourselves to secure a life with God, but stand in the efficacy of Christ’s sacrificial death.
Sadly, many Christians don’t experience the joy and contentment that accompanies a life of faith. Generally speaking, when we don’t know of the “newness of life” promised to us it is due to a lack of death. God only resurrects the dead. What “old man” tendencies of yours are clinging to life support? Why not reckon all of your life as crucified with Christ, such that God’s resurrection life would be your living realty! The great ‘prince of preachers’ Charles Spurgeon said:
“When a man finds and knows himself to be linked with Christ, his life is altogether a new life. Crucified, then dead. Crucified, then the old life is put away. Whatever life a crucified man has must be new life. Whatever you have of life was not given you till you came into union with Christ. It is a new thing—as new as though you had been actually dead and rotted in the tomb and then had started up at the sound of the trumpet to live again.”
My prayer for us is that we all would long for God’s best for us: dead men walking in newness of life!
Much love,
Pastor Gary
As we gather for Sunday worship, we want you to meet with God and be transformed by the Word. Prepare your heart by reading the passage and listening to the songs for Sunday.