O Death, Where is your Victory? O Death, Where is your Sting?

Death stings. I have lost a couple of dear friends recently - one to Covid and one to something else. It hurts. I have been incredibly sad. The Bible tells us there is a time to mourn.  Jesus cried when Lazarus died even though Jesus knew He was getting ready to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Crying is important.  Face your grief with tears, with time, and face your pain with truth.  

Max Lucado wrote, “God has the last word on death.  And if you listen, He will tell you the truth about your loved ones.  They’ve been dismissed from the hospital called Earth. You and I still roam the halls, smell the medicines.  They meanwhile, inhale springtime.” 

When someone dies, we miss them like crazy. But let’s talk truth.  My friends knew Jesus. He was their Savior and their Lord. They are in paradise.  A place where there is no more pain, suffering, or tears.  And you know what, they were ready to go!  They are happy, at peace and rest, and enjoying every moment of eternal life. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says that there is no need for you “to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.”   God has the last word on death.  Jesus, and now my friends too, know the joy of the resurrection! So, from God’s perspective, and from my friends’ perspectives, death is not victorious and death does not sting.