As a little girl I would attach the empty, brown bug shell to my shirt. More recently I found myself wondering, “What message does this part of creation speak about God?” Romans 1:20 NIV says, “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” I asked Jesus to reveal it to me, and the lesson I learned was pretty fabulous.
The cicada is unique in that it lives most of it’s life underground. In time for breeding the cicada molts into a more mobile structure and burrows to the top of the ground. It emerges with warm temperatures serving as the signal to climb to the nearest tree before making the final transition to the adult stage. While attached to the tree, the outer shell splits down the center creating a longitudinal fissure, and the cicada emerges from the shell over half an hour. Immediately upon molting, the cicada’s body is solid white except for 2 dark spots, which are pseudo eyes, and are thought to alarm predators. During this time, the cicada is vulnerable to predators until it reaches the shade of the tree. In the final stage, the cicada’s wings inflate with fluid to take on full length and shape. Within minutes the exoskeleton hardens and turns black and he crawls toward the canopy of the tree (with oak as the favored trees) and may eventually take off in flight. This is the time when the males begin their characteristic song. Unfortunately, only a few will succeed in surviving to reproduce.
The cicada’s existence proclaims the story of Jesus the Lamb crucified before the beginning of time. He was with God in the beginning yet spending most of His life hidden from man. 1 Cor 2:7-8 NIV, “No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. “
Just as God planned to bring light to darkness, Jesus appeared on the scene, to produce for Himself righteous offspring who would further the
Just as the cicada climbs onto a tree to shed his outward shell, at the appointed time, Jesus “humbled himself, and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil 2:8 NIV). He willingly placed himself onto the cross shedding His blood and ultimately His outward mortal shell of humanity revealing the pure white, spotless Lamb. Instead of psuedo eyes, He had holes in His hands and feet, a sign that the enemy was defeated. Just as the cicada’s shell splits down the middle, Jesus’ death caused a split straight down the curtain allowing His followers into the Father’s presence. Matt 27:51 NIV, "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”
Phil 2:9 NIV, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” As the cicada's exoskeleton and wings harden, Christ was clothed in strength and majesty. Just as if He had wings, he ascended to the Father and He was given all authority on heaven and earth, but not before leaving His offspring, those to whom He had called and would call, to follow in His steps. Ephesians 1:19-22 NIV, “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”
Just as we are to follow Christ’s example, as His offspring, we too can gain understanding from the cicada. Man was born from the ground (from dust we came) with the sentence of death in our hearts. We spend most of our lives in sin and away from God. By His love and grace, God calls each one according to His purpose, and the man who hears the call and responds is drawn out of the grave (sin and death) and out into the Light under the canopy of the Tree of Life. As man sheds his sinful nature (counting himself dead) he becomes free (John 8 NIV “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!). As Jesus died on the cross, each man identifies with His death and considers his flesh crucified with Christ. In Romans 6:4 - 8 it says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”
Just as Jesus was the firstborn among the dead, the man who perseveres to the end receives the goal of his faith, the salvation of his soul--a glorified body, pure and spotless. 1 Peter 1:3-6 NIV, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
When you hear the song of the cicadas, remember, Rev 5:13 NIV, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!"
In hope of a better resurrection,
Mandy
