Jesus Died of Blood Clot But Jesus Still Lives!

According to a Reuters article on MSNBC, an Israeli expert has argued that the crucifixion led to a blood clot that killed Jesus when it hit the lungs. 20 years ago it was deducted that it was blood loss that killed him, but the researcher says we have come a long way in understanding blood coagulation and because of the trauma Jesus' body went through as well as his position on the cross and that he was a Jew from Galilee (genetically susceptible to the condition) all points to this mode of death.

These kinds of articles are always fascinating because we have a deep desire to see the incarnate Christ and science thinks it can give it to us. It gives us just a hint of who Jesus was as a person. It calms our doubts that Jesus may not have been really human. It calms our doubts to know articles about Jesus still get front page treatment in Time Magazine and on our home pages.

Here is the problem as I see it. America has no problem with Jesus who died on the cross. America has no problem with Jesus, the good teacher, the dark skinned Jew from Nazareth, the miracle worker. But as often as it talks about Jesus and about his death, how often does it talk about the Resurrected Lord, sovereign over heaven and earth, and even America? Jesus died, yes, but he was raised from the dead by God the Father and when he ascended he gave us the Holy Spirit.

Science cannot prove the Resurrection which is why so many struggle to believe it. Science is a religious force in our society, attempting to define our reality and giving us the liturgy to symbolize it. But the Resurrection is unscientific, not just because it is a miracle but because it cuts at the very assumption in science that everything must eventually die. The sun will go out and the world will end, unless, of course, you believe in the Resurrection.

When Jesus rises from the dead he proclaims his Sovereignty over all of creation and even the power of death is crushed by his heel. As the world and America talk about Jesus, maybe it should spend more time on his non-violent reaction to the guards who pinned him to the cross. He forgave them. Maybe we should spend more time looking to our Resurrected Lord for our definition of reality and his liturgy to symbolize it.

In no way does this mean science is evil or that we should not pursue science. It merely reminds us that science is under God's sovereignty, to be used for his purposes, and we should never allow it to define our reality above God's.