Jesus, Zombieland, and The Walking Dead

Zombie movies and shows fascinate me. I’m honestly not sure the allure, but I enjoy them for some odd reason. I enjoy comedies so I saw Zombieland several times. I was hooked on The Walking Dead for quite a while. The one that really freaked me out was World War Z. When you take Zombies and make them fast then you have a truly scary combination.

One of the most fascinating aspects about zombies to me is that they seem to be a great illustration of our lives before Christ. Zombies don’t have any semblance of real life. They are shells of humans walking around looking for a satisfaction that is insatiable. No matter how many humans and animals they feast on, they can never be satisfied.

Dead

Before we are saved, the Bible describes us as dead. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…” (Ephesians 2:1-2a)* and “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:5). Dead is a terrible condition to be in. We are literally the walking dead.

We certainly look more human than zombies, but we are  going through life searching for something to satisfy us just like zombies are always hunting for that satisfaction.  Some of us are trying to find satisfaction in stuff, whether that be clothes, electronics, cars, or whatever. We think if we can acquire the next thing then we’ll find what we’re looking for and be satisfied. Some of us may be searching for satisfaction in a relationship. We think that person will make us truly happy. However, that person is looking to feed just like we are and ultimately, we’ll dry each other up. Others of us may be looking for that satisfaction through achievement or success in a job, sports, or somewhere else. This still won’t satisfy. Even if we climb to the top, we’ll eventually reach max capacity and still feel that longing.

The Wrong Joy

None of the things mentioned above are in themselves bad, but if they are primarily where we are seeking our joy they will always come up short. We are eternal creatures so we can’t find true joy in the temporary. The problem is that we’re dead in our sin. We can’t find what will truly satisfy us because we make idols out of things that are meant to be good gifts that point us to something greater—something that will eternally give us joy and satisfaction.

Later in Ephesians, Paul describes the condition of every human when he says, "Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

Romans 3:11 says, “no one understands; no one seeks for God.” This is a bleak outlook. We’re the walking dead feeding and never getting full. We’re like zombies devouring to find delight, but still damned. Where do we find true joy?

Conclusion

Our eternal joy can only  be found in the eternal God. This is why the gospel is such good news! God steps into our story and does what only God can do. He brings dead people to life. He puts flesh over dry bones. He breathes life into dead lungs. Like Lazarus, he calls us out of the grave (John 11:43). He’s the only one who can change zombies into humans.

Because of Christ, we don’t have to stay in a zombie horror flick reality. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He is the ultimate protagonist. That is something truly being fascinated about.

*All Scripture cited is from the ESV unless otherwise noted.