CHRIST ABOLISHES DEATH

WHAT IS DEATH?

Death is the end of life or an act of passing away or the permanent destruction of something. It is the irreversible cessation of life of all vital functions or permanent stoppage of the heart, respiratory and brain activity, or the extinction or ceasing to be; it can also be defined as a cause of ruin or the state of being dead. The Bible teaches that soul is ever alive and conscious even when the body is dead. And death is the separation of the soul from the body and spirit to be cast into hell. When the body dies, it returns to dust and the spirit returns to God who gave it. In (Rev. 3:1) declares, “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars; “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” Sinners who have not confessed their sins and asked for forgiveness are considered dead, even though they may be physically alive; (Gen. 2:17), “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,” they are dead in sin. Such spiritual death eventually results in eternal death, everlasting punishment from God in the hereafter (Isa. 66:24), “And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me, for their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be abhorrence to all flesh.”  And this death is called the second death. The only way to escape from spiritual death is spiritual birth (or being born again) through Jesus Christ (John 3:3), Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When we believe in Jesus, we are raised from death to a new life in Him (John 1:12), “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”  

THE PHYSICALL DEATH

  Death entered the human race because of sin. Death in the Bible is always an alien, an intruder and an enemy. Jesus went through death as well, a cruel and unusual death (Isa. 53:5-8), “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare his generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” By His death He destroyed the one who held the power of death; because of His resurrection, death is a conquered enemy (Ps. 16:10), “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” As Christians, we believe that because of Christ we have been rescued from eternal death, and we trust that we will be guided through physical death into the arms of the waiting Father. The Psalmist states in (Ps.116:15) that, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”  Beloved, believers who are alive at the coming of the Lord will not die; and those who die before that day fall asleep in Jesus. Their death is precious in God’s sight. Though the Bible does not clearly spell out what happens to us between death and resurrection, but it is clear that believers will experience a rich closeness with Christ after death, a glorification that will be completed when the resurrection of the body takes place and they receive new bodies like the resurrected body of Christ (Job 19:26-27), “And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, who I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yarns within me!” For the unbeliever, however, physical death means ultimate separation from God.

HOW DID CHRIST ABOLISHED DEATH?

The abolition of death is the most extraordinary achievement, but no isolated event. It was wrought by Christ Jesus in fulfillment of God’s saving purpose. The plan of salvation was divinely devised in eternity, and carried out in time. Its realization required the incarnation of the Son of God, the sacrifice of the Savior for the sin of His people at Calvary, and the resurrection of the Redeemer on the third day. The same Gospel that offers us the forgiveness of sins and draws us to holy living also announces life and immortality. None of these blessings are earned by any merit of our part, but come as gifts of God’s grace to be received by the open, empty hands of faith. Believing the Gospel, we begin to live in the power of an endless life (1 John 5:11-13, 20), “And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. Beloved, this is the true God and eternal life.” “God will wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, there shall be no more pain, because of His triumph, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). And Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).  

CHRIST’S POWER OVER DEATH

The universality of death is a fact of life. Its cold hand knocks at Everyman’s door, whether he dwells in a luxury condominium with security guards or a tenement surrounded by urban blight. Scripture record only Enoch and Elijah as exceptions to the sequence of birth, life, death and burial. The good news however, is that the Lord manifests the greatness of His love to us not only in our preservation from many dangers during the course of our earthly existence, but in the deliverance of our souls from the depths of the grave. Paul the Apostle wrote to his son in the Lord and a coworker of the Gospel thus, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me His prisoner but share with me in the sufferings for the Gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time begun, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10). The last word does not belong to death, but to Him who is the resurrection and the life. We can, therefore, face the future confidently. Departing this life, we go to be with Christ. And when He comes from heaven, we shall also experience the resurrection of the body by His mighty power (Phil. 3:20-21), “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Apostle Paul assured this in his epistle to the (1 Cor. 15:54) “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written; “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  

Beloved brethren, death is indeed swallowed up in victory the moment Jesus Christ conquered death by the mighty power of His resurrection.  Savior, I thank You for Your love unto us that You laid down Your life for us all to abolish death once and for all. Blessed be Thy name forever and ever. Amen.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”