Whether or not there is some connection between the decomposition of a corpse in a wooden box, and the botanical world, “pushing up daisies” is a great euphemism for death. Flowers growing on a grave is a metaphor that I hope will help us, as we are now out to define what is commonly referred to as being “born again.” It used to be a qualifier when someone was asked whether or not he or she was a Christian. But it is one of those phrases that seems to have been retired due either to overuse, or under-appreciation. I, for one, quite like it. It means you get to start over. But it also means that you died first.
It’s very much like being transferred from the animal kingdom to the vegetable kingdom. That’s going to make me think the next time I mow the lawn. But there is a lot of language in the Bible about “fruit” and “growth” in believers. There is this Tree of Life in both Genesis and Revelation, and Jesus called himself the Vine – and us branches. He talked about a grain of wheat going into the ground, dying, and coming up again – not alone, but with a whole stock of grain. I’m not trying to say that we should become tree-huggers or anything, but our new, born-again, life in Christ is more like flowers than anything else. The next closest thing would be children.
The thing about babies, is that they grow. Now, adults grow too, but that’s not usually a good thing. Children grow up, while adults grow out. But grown-ups are grown-ups because they have stopped growing. They’ve plateau-ed at around five or six feet tall, and at around 18 or so, they need to get real used to their genetics because that’s what they’re stuck with for the next 50 or 60 years. Being born-again, means that you get to start growing again. You start small, like say, a mustard seed. You can’t see much at first, but it’s there. You can’t make it grow, but you can watch it. It’s a miracle, really.
Getting saved is an incredible, supernatural thing. That’s why there’s all that angel hooting and hollering in heaven when it happens down here. It’s exciting to see new birth. It’s also exciting to see growth. “Look how tall our boy is” my wife and I say about our son. Those with green thumbs love to see the seeds they planted come up in the vast array of natural splendour that the packages promised. Christians really do go through a new birth, after they have died with Christ on the cross. Christians really do get born-again.
Let’s go back to our daisy metaphor for a minute. For the sake of argument, let’s say that they really do get pushed up when a body goes into the ground. The death of the one thing causes the growth of another. It’s actually a scary thought when you consider that decomposing bodies provide nutrients from which grass grows, cows are fed, and then find their way into us after being on the barbecue. How the bodily resurrection is going to work out is a mystery to me, but I believe it nonetheless. If God can make an oak tree out of a tiny seed, all he needs is the tiniest scrap of DNA to make me again. But death into daisies is about transference, here and now. We don’t have to wait until our life on this earth is done, before we get to be reborn.
There are two realities that we have to reckon with, in order for us to really live as new creations in Christ. Number one, you have to acknowledge that you died. You can’t be in denial about that. It’s not that just a part of you died. YOU died. The real you, I mean. Not your body. That’s replaceable. It’s just a tent. The part of you that will outlive this world – your spirit, your soul – died. The old connections that life had with sin, with the law, and with the world have been severed by that death. You can pretend that they are still there, but you are under no obligation to any of it any more.
You may have heard the story about George Wyatt, a man who was drafted during the American Civil War, but was substituted by his friend Richard Pratt. You see, George had a wife and six kids, and Richard, being single, subbed himself in for George. He actually wore George’s name and serial number on his coat. Well, Richard died in the war. Not too long after this, the military approached George again, and was about to have him drafted involuntarily, when George said to them, “Excuse me gentlemen, but I already died in the war. Check the records.” Bewildered, they checked the records. Sure enough, George Wyatt already died. They moved on to someone else. They could make no demands of a dead man. Spiritually speaking, you’re just as dead as George. That has to be really clear, first of all.
Number two, is that after you died with Christ, you were raised from the dead with him too. You came alive again, with a new life, distinct from the old. Oh, it’s still you – the essential you. Not the sinful you, though we do still sin. You were raised, made out of the resurrection life of Jesus Christ. He runs through your new spiritual veins. He animates you. Not Adam. That’s why you are a “Christian”. There’s Christ in you. It’s just in miniature. It’s a mini-you. And the real tricky part now to wrap your cerebrum around, is that God planted the new you, in the old you. Oh boy…
Your old man is fertilizer. It’s dirt. Dirt is made up of dead, decaying matter. Just as daisies grow on a grave plot, the new you in Christ is growing out of the old dead you. That’s why you don’t feel so different right away. The new life also starts so small, that it’s hard for even you to see. It’s a spiritual seed. It needs to grow, and will grow if given the right environment, as with all proper growth. But don’t confuse the dirt for the new you. Don’t start making figurines out of it, or busts of the you you’d like to be. God made Adam out of dirt, because that was what he was going to use to plant Himself into. It just couldn’t happen until the sin that Adam acquired for himself got dealt with by Christ on the cross.
We may need some Bible at this point, just so that you know I’m not making all this up. The seed idea? Here’s John on that: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him.” Don’t worry about the “does not sin” part for now, but “His seed” refers to the Lord. There is a seed inside us, associated with the Lord. What about the dirt idea? Here’s a long one, from Paul: “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” Phew. Let me break it down for you: Dust first, Spirit second. God has the spiritual life of Christ grow right out of the dust of Adam.
I used to wonder why God still left me capable of sinning. Wouldn’t it be so much better if when we get saved, we can’t sin anymore? I’m sure you’re nodding your head right now, but hold on. God wants us to know him. That was the point of the cross in the first place, right? He wanted us to know just how much he loves us. If Adam had never sinned in the Garden of Eden, then we would never have known just how far God would go to rescue us. He went to death for us. That’s love. Now, being saved, there is more still to know. Now we get to know that not only can he save us, but he can keep us too. The benediction at the end of Jude’s letter says, “Now to him who is able to keep you from falling”. He’s able, but you can’t know it unless you can still fall.
That’s the purpose of keeping the dirt around. The daisies that will grow up and out of it are proof that God is at work. If you muck around, the new growth will be hard to see, but it’s still there. Let the soil stay where it is. It’s all about differentiating between ground and growth. Learn to tell the difference. There are roots that go down, but you can transplant it – As will happen one day when Christ returns. We’ll get a new pot. One that can’t crack, and is the perfect match for the life inside it. But for now, the business of focusing on the plant and not the soil is of utmost importance. How do we do that?
You will grow when you are exposed to the right elements. You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: Life in Christ is more vegetable than architectural. Your new creation life is growing, not being constructed. Sure, in the New Testament we read about “edification” or the building up of our faith. But that’s not talking about bricks and mortar – It’s talking about a trellis for a vine to grow on. Or it’s referring to propping up a limb so you get better fruit. So if we are talking about growth, then we need sun and rain. Those are the right elements.
What is the sun a metaphor for? That’s easy. You’re thinking of it right now. It’s Jesus. The Son. When we were discussing night and day earlier, we saw that God’s big object lesson is important not to miss. The sun, our star, is crucial to plant life here. Green things need exposure to the sun, or they will die. Spiritually speaking, believers need exposure to Christ. Here is a verse that should be most helpful here: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2nd Corinthians 3:18 Do you see that connection between simply looking at Christ and being transformed? It’s that easy. It’s like salvation to begin with. We think it’s too easy to just believe in Christ, but that’s all we have to do. Jesus did the rest. Yes, I am trying to tell you that in order for you to become more like Jesus, you simply have to look at him. Behold him. Fix your eyes on him. The Bible says that kind of thing all the time.
What about the rain? Well, the rain is the word of God. It’s like drinking water. You need it every day. It also has a cleansing effect on us. Paul talks about Jesus cleansing the church in the letter to the Ephesians, where he says, “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (5:26) The Bible reveals those places in us that are at odds with the Lord, so that we can confess it and get re-focused on Christ. Read it to see Christ on every page. He will be sunlight for your new creation life. We are the most like those we admire. May your admiration of Jesus keep you thinking about him. Only then will you push up those daisies.