I sat last night and continue to do so this morning with many emotions running through my mind as I watch the rescue efforts of the 33 trapped Chileanminers.  Feelings of excitement, joy and amazement are all mixed with burdened feelings for these families.  The celebration and relief that it is for the miners to finally see daylight and be re-united with their families will all too soon turn into many days, weeks, months, if not years, of notarized publicity and personal stories, as well as many emotional effects from being trapped underground.

My heart, though, is also burdened for each of these families, wondering what their spiritual state is.  How will they view life differently now and take note of the One who has saved them from physical death for these last two plus months.  But even more so, do they know my Brother and your Brother who was also in a hole underground – not for close to three months but three days.

The writer of Hebrews says,

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.  For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.  That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Behold the children God has given me.’   Since therefore, the children share in the flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.  For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of  Abraham.  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” –Hebrew 2:10-18

Jesus Christ was made like us (His brothers), so that He might live that perfect life and be that perfect high priest and sacrifice.  Christ tasted death and took upon Himself the sins of His people, bearing the full wrath of God, so that we might not have to face eternal death in Hell, but receive and partake in His righteousness and His life.

And it is in this resurrected life that we can rejoice; because Christ has been raised, our faith is sure, our testimony is sure, and our preaching is sure (1 Cor. 15).  It is through the power of this resurrected life that we have a Gospel to proclaim to the world, and to those who we still are yet to call our brothers.

I just caught a glimpse of the thirteenth miner’s shirt – ‘Gracias Senor’.  Yes, we ought to thank God for sparing the lives of these 13 men and I pray all 33 over the course of the next day, but even greater still we have much more for which to be thankful.

Thank God that Christ is no longer in a hole in the ground in the Middle East, but that He is ruling and reigning, and that we, too, will reign with our Brother, our King, our Savior.

Pray for these men and their families – pray that they might be rescued from darkness of sin into life in the Son.  Pray for missionaries, like Loren and Karen Dickey in Chile, that they might declare the Gospel of One such Brother raised from underground, as the country and the world continue to celebrate the rescuing of these 33 brothers. Gracias Senor!

Written by Ryan Martin

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