As I See It…

The ratio is something like 424 to 29, or about 85 to 6. That is, the number of times in the Bible that the word death occurs compared to the number of times that healing occurs. Death is not a popular subject, but it is mentioned about eight times as much as healing is in the Word of God.

Almost as soon as creation/life and procreation/birth is presented in the Bible, right on the heels of this revelation comes death/murder: Adam/Eve and Cain/Abel. Death staggers us. Healing encourages us. Death leaves us vacant. Healing makes us full again. Death can cause anger to rage. Healing is soothing to the body and the soul. Death and healing are a mutual antithesis of one another. They are almost either…or. But again, I say, they are almost either…or.

Paul cries out, “Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?” That provocative wail does not go unanswered. The sting of death is sin, writes Paul. The power of sin is the law, he retorts. But he does not let sin or death have the final word. No, the apostle is far too confident in his God than that! His concluding salvo is this: But thanks be to God…!

Not too many people say “thank you” to death. Its sting is too penetrating. But a child of God can look death in the face and say to his Heavenly Father, “Thank you for removing the sting. Thank you that life abides in you. And because life rests in you, I will find my rest in you as well.” “But thanks be to God…who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

A Christian not only finds his rest in God, he finds his victory in the Lord Jesus Christ. Death can never really conquer. It carries a sting, but its penetration is buffered. Death leaves no lasting mark for a Christian. There is only a minor twinge and then victory! Since Christ took the sting of the thorns, nails and spear upon himself, the child of God if buffered once and for all from its pain. Our final cry is not “Sting…it hurts.” Our final cry is, “Victory, in Jesus!”

Pastor Megilligan