A Stingless Kind of Death

Good Friday, Easter, and what these all mean

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

“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.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57

I remember the time I almost died.

I was driving on the highway, sleepy as sleepy can be. I felt that I fell asleep for two seconds, and woke up, with chills spreading down my spine, goosebumps all over me.

Yes, I was still on the wheel, cars were far ahead of me. But I also realized, had a slept two more seconds, I would have died.

Death brings different kinds of emotions to different kinds of people. Some look forward to death, thinking life is nothing more than hell, and death may seem the simpler and more preferable state. Some are fearful of death, refusing to talk about it on the dinner table in fears of the things talked about coming true.

Yet the passage above tells us three realities about death.

Death is a reality that we will face

Yet, death is a reality we will face. We can extend our lives by living healthy, being careful, or being carefree. Yet, death will come as sure as taxes. It will happen to you, to your loved ones. It will happen in the best of times, it will happen in the worst of times.

When death happens, it will sting.

It will bring sadness.

It will bring unimaginable pain.

It will be very difficult.

When my dad died, it stinged. It brought unimaginable pain, it was very difficult. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, but it is a reality that we will face.

Death’s problem is sin

What makes death scary is not the pain, it is the fact that we know instinctively that death is present because of sin, and that sin will be judged upon death.

Yes, death is scary because of our sin. And we know it.

Oscar Wilde was a pretty flamboyant, carefree individual who lived his life the way he pleased. Debauchery, fornication, adultery - name all the sins in the world and he might have committed it. Yet on his deathbed, he realized that as the end is near, he asked for a priest to administer the sacraments to him. Why? As all who have faced death know, right and wrong suddenly matters when you are at the deathbed.

Why are those who have almost died suddenly feel the weight of doing the right thing in life? Why are those on the deathbed thinking questions like, “Did I treat my children right, did I care enough for the important people in my life?” The answer: death shows us the reality of our sin and the inevitability that we will face the consequence of sin.

We instinctively know that we will give an account for all the sins we have done, no matter how many times we try to deny them, brush them under the rug, or justify them. Death’s sting is our sin.

Death has no sting in Christ

The good news is, there is only one way where death loses it’s sting: Jesus Christ. This is what Good Friday and Easter is all about. Jesus Christ, truly God became truly man. As one who is truly man, He lived a perfect life. He died on the cross. Why?

He died on our behalf. He faced the consequences of sin that we should face. He received the judgment that was due to us for our sins.

He also rose again from the dead. He does so to show that whoever believes in Him no longer dies, but remains alive with Him for eternity.

Can death still have it’s sting on you? Not if you believe in Jesus.

Yes, we will still go to the hospital when our health fails. Yes, if we were to die it may be very painful. Yes, we will still stop breathing and be pronounced dead by the Medical Examiner. Yes we will still be buried six feet under the ground, leaving our loved ones in tears for months and for years.

Yet, we will die with hope. The hope is, we will not remain in death, no, no, no.

When Lazarus died, Mary and Martha were in tears, wondering why Jesus didn’t come sooner to stop the death of their beloved brother. Jesus did come, but Lazarus had died. Yet what happened next was unbelievable. Jesus promised that He is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him, though he dies, yet shall he live.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.^[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? - John 11:25-26

And after a while, Lazarus, who was dead for four days, rose up as if he had just gone to sleep. Why? Jesus Christ. Death had no longer had any sting on him.

This Good Friday and Easter, your hope lies in Jesus Christ. Do you believe in Him? Have you repented of your sins and placed your trust in Him as your Lord and Savior?

If not, why not do so today.

Do so, and have a stingless kind of death.