Undisputed — Over Death - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
Luke 24:5b-6a
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! (NIV)
Jon Weece’s Easter Sunday message reminded us that an angel’s words to the women headed to Jesus’ tomb are not somber but incredibly joyful, offering the women and us a lasting hope. Jon also said that the angel’s declaration is powerful. “He has risen!”
Jon pointed out that the Bible uses three metaphors to describe dying. The first is departure. The Greek word for departure could describe a boat being intentionally untied from a dock, ready to sail to its destination. The Apostle Paul used this word in Philippians 1:23-24 to describe his longing to be with Jesus.
Another metaphor for death we see in the Bible is homecoming. Jon said to think about this in terms of a soldier who has been off at war, now returning home safe and sound. Paul mentioned that being with the Lord is truly home (2 Corinthians 5:8). Jesus talked about making preparations for us in His Father’s home. It’s true, when a believer dies, they don’t leave home, they go home.
The third way the Bible references death is sleeping. Jesus said this of Lazarus, who had died and was buried, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up” (John 11:11).
The power in those Biblical metaphors for death lands in the truth that none of these describe an end. They all express movement from one thing to another. Departing assumes arriving. Homecoming assumes returning. And sleeping assumes waking. Jon said it this way, “What Jesus did in that tomb made it possible for our heavenly Father to carry us from one place to the next when we die, to make sure this ship (this body) gets from Point A to Point B, and to ensure that when the war finally ends, we get home alive.”
REFLECTION
I will admit that I live most days without fully acknowledging or embracing the power of the resurrection at work in my life. It just kind of stays in the background. Let’s commit to bringing that reality to the forefront today. He has risen!