We’ve witnessed pain and suffering and even death. But we don’t witness it with eyes of flesh, we see through the lens of hope. The story is written, the end is no secret. We know who wins: Life.
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13
As we move through this Passion Week, the week before Easter Sunday, we reflect on the somber day that Jesus was crucified. When we read about this event, we don’t read it without knowing the end: Resurrection from the dead! But before one can come back-to-life, they must first die.
Death is something to be thankful for. For death is the process in which our mortality is transformed into immortality. Death tries to act intimidating but it has no power. Jesus, actually, has reversed the effects of death. The power it once had is now used against itself to create a better, immortal life after this temporary life. Death knows it has already been defeated. But that doesn’t stop it from trying to destroy you as much as it can before you finally die. And we let death have tiny victories over us during our life before eternal life. If we believe that once we die we will live forever with God after this life, then why do we even let death have those tiny victories over us? What would our life look like in the here and now if we never allowed death to have any victories?
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ “Where, O death is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
As Jesus said, “It is finished”, on the cross, I wonder if he said it with a smile, a grin of victory. After experiencing intense pain all day, did he give death the final blow with a smile of joy? Death thought it was winning all day. But once it saw that smile from the face of Jesus as he gave up his spirit, it knew it was in trouble. And at that moment, death met Jesus, and lost. Jesus laughed in the face of death! Jesus went into the belly of death so that he could eat death. Death was swallowed by Jesus.
As we are surrounded by death in this life, can we smile with hope, knowing that Jesus, who lives in us, has won the battle over death? It takes training to celebrate death and for us to not allow death to even have those tiny victories over us. Let death be a reminder of the victory of Jesus. If death surrounds us, then we get to have a constant reminder of resurrection. Laugh at death when it rears its ugly face, reminding it that Jesus has swallowed it up.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
KevinBreeding 