No More Death

Our God is not a god of death. In beginning, in paradise, man and woman were to live forever. This only changed because Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 3). However, our Lord did not leave us to remain in death. He came into the world (John 1:1) and demonstrated that it is The Father's Will that man live; for Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life abundantly." (John 10:10).

Jesus Christ raised many from the dead. The two accounts that are best known are Lazarus and The Young Girl. It had been three days since Lazarus had perished and in fact, the crowd of mourners content in their unbelief descried when Jesus asked for the stone to be rolled away, that the stench would be too strong. Jesus rebukes them for their unbelief and calls to Lazarus in the tomb saying, "Lazarus, come out!", to which "And he (Lazarus) who had died came out bound at the hands and feet with grave clothes, and his face covered in a cloth. Jesus then said, "loose him and let him go." (John 11:28-44). This miracle of raising the dead is important to affirm Jesus' diety and divine nature (that he is the Son of God and Very God of Very God), but it illustrates the destiny of all who are disciples of Christ. I would additionally like to point out that the miracle of Lazarus raising from the dead is confirmed in the details of the story. He had been buried in the tomb for three days, you cannot live without water for three days. Secondly, Lazarus was wrapped like mummy in cloth, it would have almost been impossible for him to walk out of the tomb without a miracle. The fact Lazarus comes forth at the word of the Lord Jesus in of itself is stunning.

The second major raising of dead was a young girl. The details surrounding the girl's raising are quite interesting. It says that Jesus was amongst a throng of people and on his way to the house of the young dead girl. While moving among the masses of people pressing in on him, Jesus felt a woman touch the hem of his robe and the Power leave his body. This woman had a bleeding discharge problem (female period problems). I would relate the story in full, but I want to focus on that Jesus says, "who touched me?" To which one of the disciples responds, "what do you mean who touched you? Many people are pressing about you." I imagine the disciples and the father of the dead girl who had been leading Jesus to his dead daughter was disgruntled that Jesus had stopped and was not making haste to raise the girl from the dead. Next it says Jesus went to the young dead girl's home and said, "she is not dead, she is merely sleeping." To which the crowd of mourners and other relatives laughed and mocked. It then says, "After he put them out, He took the child's father and mother, and the disciples who where with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said, "Talitha koum!" (which says, "Little girl, I say to you, get up). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years of age)." (Mark 5:21-43).

It is important that Jesus took the parents and his disciples into the room with the dead girl. For they would be eyewitnesses of this resurrection. It also helps us in this day and age of skepticism, that Christ did not raise the child alone without any family nearby. It says the father and mother were both there, and the disciples, who are objective, in that they are not relatives and thus can give reliable account without bias.

These raises from the dead were only the beginning of the Lord's greater plans to conquer death. For Jesus not only wanted to stop the power of death over our bodies, but over our souls as well! Sin is the death of the soul and Hell is called the Second Death (Revelation 21:8). The answer was Jesus Christ's death. Yes, Jesus' death conquered death: God's death destroyed death's power. For Jesus knew He would be raised from the dead and thus death would lose its sting. Jesus died to save us from the Second Death and Death in all its forms! For the famous Scripture says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and who ever believes in him shall not perish (die) but have everlasting life!" (John 3:16).

When our Savior was challenged about the Ressurection by the Sadducces who did not believe in life after death; Jesus said, "Your error is caused by your ignorance of the Scriptures and of God's Power! But now, as to whether there is resurrection of the dead, don't you relaised that god was peaking directly to you when he said, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? So God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:29,31-32). The point Jesus was making is that it says, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," not I was or once was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our Lord was making clear that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were alive in the presence of the Father!

If we follow this conclusion to its logical conclusion, we can be certain that death no longer exists in Christ! For if God is of the living, then to leave this world is not to die, but to go to be with the Source of Life Himself! The Creator and One who breathes life into all things! The only death that remains is Hell, but for the believer there is no fear of the fire, "because through Jesus Christ the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death!" (Romans 8:2). St. Paul confirms this again when he says to the Church in Corinth, "The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law; but thanks to be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (over the law of sin and death)!" (1 Corinthians 15:56-67).

On Judgment Day, even the Second death shall die! For is says, "Then death and hades (hell) were thrown into the lake of fire which is the Second Death." (Revelation 20:14). So here we can interpret that death meets its death, an ironic and confusing notion, but so liberating for us Christians! We need not fear death's sting as St. Paul said and we have the promise of Christ himself who says, "There will be no more death, or tears (crying), or mourning, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4).

It is clear that if we believe in Jesus Christ and believe these Scriptures, that death no longer can touch us and it no longer exists! The only death left tell Jesus Christ returns, is hell which is for the unbeliever. Those who should fear death are not those who believe, love, and follow Christ, but the unbelievers and those who hate Him. Christ conquered death's power over us on the cross! There He physically died to that we may live eternally in spirit! And then the Lord promises us that our bodies shall again live, for his Apostle said, "Behold I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will be changed, in the twinkling (blink) of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the last trumpet will sound (cross ref. Revelation 11:15), the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (we who are still alive at that moment)" (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life, Whoever believes in me, though he die, he shall live!" (John 11:15). Jesus Christ is life! If we believe and dwell in Him, when we depart from this Earthen vessel (body) we shall go to be with Him who is life! Our Lord and Savior has the power to give us both life and eternal life! He said, "The Son can do nothing on his own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that He is doing. For as the Father raises the dead, and gives them life, for also the Son gives life to whom He will." (John 5:25-30). I share this verse, because it illustrates that the Trinity: The Father, The Son (Jesus Christ) and The Holy Spirit are the Resurrection and Giver of Life!

In case doubt remains, let me then point to Jesus Christ's resurrection itself. Each Gospel shares the account of Jesus' Resurrection, so I shall share one and give the cross references. It says,
"Jesus rose from the dead on the early on the first week day. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, the one whom he had delivered from seven demons. After that Jesus appeared in a different form to two followers, this happened while these followers were walking in the country (Road to Emmaus, cross reference Luke 24:13-33). The two followers went and told the disciples, but they did not believe. Later Jesus appeared to the 11 Disciples as they were eating. He spoke firmly to them because they doubted; they would not believe those who had seen Him after He had raised from the dead; in Luke's Gospel, it says they asked Him to eat a fish, so that they could be sure he wasn't a apparition; for they were full of doubt. Here is the full account of this encounter from Luke 24:36-42: "They were startled and thought he was ghost. To which Jesus said, "why are you trouble, and why do doubts raise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. When He had said this he had them touch his hands and feet, but they still disbelieved because of joy and amazement, so He asked them, "do you have anything to eat? They gave him a broiled fish, and Jesus took it and ate it in their presence." (Luke 24:36-42).

It is so reassuring that The Ressurection of Christ was so met with disbelief and doubt by the Disciples. If the Gospels had been a hoax (they are not, they are the very Truth of God!) and The Resurrection a fabrication (which it is not), the Gospel writers would have surely omitted this confession of their guilt and unbelief. Secondly, each Gospel has different details and pieces of the Resurrection Account. In one Gospel it says Jesus raised from the dead also appeared to 500 (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) and in The Gospel of John it says that Jesus appeared to the Disciples again on The Sea of Galilee when they were fishing and there He cooked for them and St. Peter got the forgiveness he needed for his denial (and was reinstated). (John 21: 1-25). The reason there are other Risen Christ's accounts in different Gospels is because the writers and the eye witnesses accounts saw Jesus at different times and places where he appeared risen from the dead and because they were different people with different perspectives! This gives the Gospels creditability because a hoax is carefully crafted and would have had all the stories say the exact same thing, without telling some extra eyewitnesses accounts. This is why in two separate Gospels is says Jesus carried his cross and then in another Simon carried the cross for him. Depending on the eyewitnesses and where on the Via Del Rosa those who saw Jesus where they saw Jesus carrying the cross or Simon helping Him carry it later on the road.

Jesus Christ is the "Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6). There is no need to fear death! For our Lord and Savior has slain the power of death over us! He now, "holds the keys to death and hades." (Revelation 1:18). Have confidence that when your body fails and you must bear away to heaven; that this is not death, but going to the life itself who is Jesus Christ! This world and body is but a shard or breath of life, Jesus Christ is life and so death is not death at all! If Jesus is Life and the Resurrection (John 11:15, John 14:6, then to be with Jesus is to be with Life! So the philosophers and physicians are wrong! We do not die! We go from life to eternal life! We go from but speck of this life to the Source of Life who is our Savior and Lord, who "from all things came!" (John 1:3). Actually we go from death to life! For if we believe these Scriptures and we should, then Jesus Christ is life and this world or life is where death is. So ironically, we do not die as the doctors say, but live! For here in this life dwells the only deaths left: sin, the path to hell! But if we believe in Jesus Christ, there is no more death, but life everlasting!