Thursday, April 12, 2012
John 14:19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also."
THE VIEW OF THE TOMB: CHANGES OUR VIEW OF THE GRAVE
"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes," so said Benjamin Franklin. We understand what Mr. Franklin was talking about, even if we beg to differ. It's true that we will all succumb to temporal death (unless the Lord Christ returns before we die). It seems equally true that taxes are a part of life difficult to avoid (and we should pay our taxes as Jesus said).
We will all die, but the empty tomb of Jesus makes us certain of a number of other things.
We too will rise. It is because Jesus arose from the dead that His promise "because I live you will live also" means so much to us. Jesus' resurrection confirms that we will also rise when the Lord returns in glory.
All will die, and all will be awakened at His voice and come forth. Then comes the good part, at least for those who have trusted in Christ's living and dying, our bodies will be glorified, made in a fashion like His glorified body. We will awaken from death, not to more of this life, but to life eternal apart from sin and death.
Sadly, those who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God and who reject His resurrection will awaken to eternal death, to an existence separate from His goodness forever.
One day there will be a plot of ground in which your remains are buried. While much of our world fears death, we see it as but a door through which we enter into life eternal. In Christ, we need not fear either temporal or eternal death.
Death ... where is your sting?
Christ is risen! Hallelujah!
