What About Death?

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe tears from off all faces: and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 25:8.

It is interesting, important, and impressive to read all Our God tells about death, yet to most of us it is a mystery. Its entrance into the human condition, existence as well as its exit are clearly stated. Death seems to be all the more swiftly swallowing up its victims today. Here we read a wonderful prophecy, Oh, Yes! a powerful and precious promise. This is another faithful saying, that has been so well written. It shall come to pass, although He didn’t say here exactly when, it is sure to be fulfilled, for it is God’s Word.

Our adversary’s purpose in relation to the promises of God, was perpetrated to thwart the accomplishment of a glorious victorious outcome. Guess who gets the last laugh, and who is the greatest fool.

THE STING

“The sting of death is sin.” I Cor. 15:56. This means to goad, prick, to poison. Sin has stung humanity to death bringing suffering sorrow and pain upon our kind. Rom. 5:12. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all hath sinned.” Therefore the certainty for fallen man is death. We read in Genesis repeatedly about generation after generation, “and he died, and he died.” Now, has Jesus taken the sting out of death for believing humanity? Oh yes, but do we still feel the loss sorrow and pain.

THE SENTENCE

The sentence of death. This is a judicial decision. The just judge has given his. “The soul that sins shall die.” Paul speaks of the trouble they experienced in Asia, and that they even despaired of life. But, he says that “we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” II Cor. 1:9,10. Thank God for providing deliverance for our faith, including body, soul and spirit, as well as past, present and future. We will forever be thanking Jesus for bearing the sentence that belonged to us.

THE SHADOW

“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me.” Ps. 23. Death cast a dark, most foreboding shadow that would rob of the enjoyment of life. This cloud seems to be of overwhelming sorrow for many. This shadow would bind with debilitating fear promoting bondage and darkness that would cheat us out of the blessing of God’s marvelous light. In this valley we do well to remember that there is only a passing shadow, and not a thing of enduring substance.

THE SUFFERING

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death...Heb. 2:9a. Suffering here speaks of something undergone, harshly endured. He partook of flesh and blood, was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, and in the form of a servant tasted death for every man.

The horrible suffering that Jesus endured on our behalf and in our place is inexpressible. It was beyond anything we could imagine. Facing that suffering Jesus sweat as it were great drops of blood requesting that this cup pass from him. In Gethsemane he dreaded it. Our Father seemed to hang a veil of darkness over that awesome scene. After those moments when that veil was lifted, it seems that he was not recognizable as human form. Isa. 52:14, Ps. 22:6.

As the Children of Israel could look on that brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness and be healed, even so we with eyes of faith may now look upon him that was made sin for us, and be healed. Oh, what gracious deliverance he has provided for us from the penalty, power, and finally the presence of sin and death. Jesus came to destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. He also came to deliver us who through fear of death were all of our life time subject to bondage. Thank God we can now see him who tasted death for every man, crowned with glory and honour. Heb. 2:9,14,15.

DEATH SWALLOWED UP

The expression “swallow up,” is to consume, devour, squander, drink, gulp entire.

“He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Cor. 15:25,26. Oh, Thank God for “the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: II Tim. 1:10.

“...God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new.” Rev. 21:4,5.

“...when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” I Cor. 15:54-58.

SHEW THE LORD’S DEATH

“For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, you do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” I Cor. 11:26. This tells part of our occupation in the mean time “Till He Come.” We are looking forward and in the same service look back. We are enjoying loving benefits from the cross, and the living glories of His coming again, and that eternal crowning day. In our communion services we do more than just commemorate the fact that he died.

We proclaim, preach and teach the worth. We show our appreciation of what his death means to us, and the enjoyment of life eternal with our dear Lord. While we show that we know why Jesus died, and who he died for, we also express our faith in His resurrection. He has also become our Lord, the supreme ruler of life. He not only sacrificially died, but supernaturally arose to be the glorious head of a living New Creation.