Death VI
Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:54, 57 ESV)
Death’s Death
When Genghis Khan conquered the peoples of the steppes of Asia, his empire lasted after his own death. He was successful, in part, because he changed the conquered folk into something else. Enforced by horse and arrow, they lost their identities. They ‘became’ what he wanted them to be. They were no longer Persians, Afghans, or Chinese. They became Mongols. At least for a time.
When Christ conquered the enemy death, He truly conquered it, for all time, for all of His people. Death has become what the victorious Christ wanted it to be. Death become our gate into His permanent Kingdom.
Death was swallowed up, devoured, by that victory. It entered His realm as His tool.
Death no longer had any victories. While before Christ, death seemed to win every battle, now every Christian death is a victorious event.
Death’s sting has become an ultimate blessing. Christians leave our sin-tainted and sin-broken bodies behind, and will have new perfect bodies! Our intellects, as well. Our emotions as well. our very Souls, in fact, as well.
Death has died… and was reborn as something new!