Romans
5:12 (NRSV) – Sin came into the world through one man, and death came through
sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned.
None of us has
ever experienced anything like this COVID-19 Pandemic. It has infected people
of every nation on earth. It has brought the economies of the world to a
standstill. Many of us have loved ones and friends who have had the virus. Many
of those have died.
Yet, as bad as
is it and though we do not yet know the final tally, no expert predicts we will
see the more than fifty million global deaths the Spanish Flu brought just over
a century ago. Even that pandemic’s toll was outdone by the plague known as the
Black Death, which likely killed 30-60% of Europe’s population and perhaps as
much as 25% of the population of the world in its seven year run from
1346-1353. We can thank God technological advances, medical researchers, and
those on the front lines of treatment are making sure we do not see something
like that again.
Yet, there is
an even worse pandemic that has plagued the world since long before the Black
Death. It has infected every human life. Much like how many researchers now
believe the coronavirus COVID-19 made a jump from the bat population to
humanity by one person’s choice to eat a live bat as part of a ritual, Romans
5:12 tells us sin entered the human race because of one person’s choice. The
difference, though, is that, although it is very contagious and deadly, the
coronavirus does not infect everyone in range of transmission and less than 25%
of those with the virus in most regions die. The verse we read says the
pandemic of sin is 100% contagious and 100% deadly: “Death spread to all
because all have sinned.”
The evidence
for this reality is everywhere: crime, violence, abuse, lying, selfishness. We
may want to say, “Nobody’s perfect,” but that is exactly the evidential proof
of the universality of sin. None of us is perfect, yet the ultimate outcome of
this virus of sin is death. We may be tempted to blame the first one to bring
this to humanity, but, as Paul said, “All have sinned.” We are all guilty and helpless
on our own to overcome both the pandemic and its effect. (Romans 5:6)
The good news
is that there is a cure. “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned
through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant
provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one
man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17, NIV).
Today, Good
Friday, we celebrate that cure being enacted as the only perfect human in
history – perfect because he was fully God and fully man and without sin
(Hebrews 4:15) – offered himself in our place. He died so we would not have to
die eternally. He rose from the dead on the first Easter to show and prove that
he truly conquered death.
This Easter,
we earnestly pray those seeking a cure for the coronavirus find it quickly. We
pray that those healthcare professionals working the front lines stay healthy,
and we do pray those with the virus recover. Yet, we can be truly grateful the
cure for the worst pandemic history is available to all who receive it. If you
have not yet received that gift of God’s grace Jesus Christ has made available
to us, I urge you to receive it today and join believers around the world in
celebrating his resurrection this Sunday, even if we do it remotely. Christ is
risen!
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