The Escape Room

 

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-27 ESV).

 

In recent years, escape rooms have become some of the most popular attractions across the United States. When you visit an escape room, you are typically “locked” in a room and given a set amount of time to solve a mystery or puzzle in order to escape. There are several of these in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. One of them, “The Haunting of Hyde House,” drew my attention. While I couldn’t talk Mary into the exercise of our combined intellect and cunning to beat the puzzle, I thought the premise was interesting. Each group begins with a tour guide who introduces the puzzle and explains the rules. Soon your tour guide abandons you in the haunted Hyde mansion, a ghost emerges to seek help from your group. The fun begins as you solve riddles and follow clues to “escape.”

 

Imagine a group of people being placed in a room without any exit. As much as they might try, there is no way out. They are trapped! Mary couldn’t imagine that would be a fun thing to do. I suppose there are lots of folks who feel the same way about their lives. They feel trapped in the situations of their lives. Some feel trapped in the every­day routine of running a household and raising children. Others dread going to work to face a never-ending round of "the same old thing." Still others find themselves trapped in a wheelchair or a bed, unable to get out.

 

In our reading today the apostle Paul admits that life is meaningless without the risen Savior. Paul even says that if Christ has not been raised, we may as well live it up, as the Epicurean philosophers of his day suggested: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (v. 32). Only the risen Savior can help us see that there is more to life than meets the eye. If you feel trapped, turn to the Savior and ask him to open the door to the freedom he has come to bring: new life that we can live fully and forever with God!