One evening, about thirty-five years ago, I was getting ready for bed when the phone rang. It was the daughter of one of our church members. She was a nurse in the ER at Kern Medical Center, and asked if I could come to talk with a young couple. They had driven to the hospital from a small town 90 miles away, in order to welcome their first child into this world. But sadly, their baby was born dead. They asked Lollie, their nurse, if she knew a pastor, and if she would call on their behalf.
When I arrived, this young couple was obviously distraught. Imagine what that must have been like. They were actually numb. Why did this happen? Where was God in all of this? They were not angry, but shocked…confused…grief-stricken. For nine months they had been waiting to celebrate the birth of their baby, but now they were mourning his death. They had made plans and preparations to welcome their newborn into their home, but now they would be planning a funeral where they would say goodbye.
What could I say at a time like this? Normally, I know the people that I minister to. I have some kind of relationship with them. But this young couple knew no one in our town. They were stuck with a complete stranger (me) to talk to.
The Bible rarely answers the “why” question. But even if this couple could have known why God allowed this to happen, knowing the reason would not have brought their little one back. This couple wanted to hear something that could ease the pain they were feeling. So, I asked if I could share some scripture with them—some verses that address life and death.
I was a fairly new pastor and don’t remember much of what I said to them. But I do remember that I shared about the resurrection. Because, it is the resurrection that gives us genuine hope. And hope is what most of us want when tragedy strikes. In the case of a death, we want a hope that transcends the grave. We want to know something concrete about life after death, not “pie in the sky” in the “sweet by and by.”
The Apostle Peter wrote two letters to churches. He wrote his first one to give encouragement to Christians who were experiencing trials, persecution and suffering. He begins that letter by stating several promises that God has made to those who have been born again—who have become citizens of His kingdom. The first promise is hope. “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3-4, emphasis mine).
Notice, the hope God gives is a living hope. It is living because it is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead and He is alive. He did not die a martyr’s death. He did not come just to give us a good example to follow. Jesus came to die in our place, to pay for all of our sins. But He is not decaying in a grave somewhere. He rose bodily from the dead (never to die again) so that we might have life—life forever with Him. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies…” (John 11:25). Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can also rise.
I have attended funerals where the speaker tries to comfort the family by saying that the deceased will continue to live if we just remember them. In other words, they will live on in our hearts. No offense, but that is not comforting to me. I want to know that my loved one is actually alive—more alive than ever. They just live in a new place, a far better place, called heaven. I want to know that they are in the presence of the Lord, where there is no more mourning, no more sickness, no more dying. And only the resurrection of Jesus Christ can give us that hope—that confident and comforting assurance.
The resurrection is the foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection we are just deluding ourselves. Millions of Christians have been wasting their time and believing in a lie, if the resurrection is not true. “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:16-20 emphasis mine). Because Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave, we will do the same if we are in Christ—if we have surrendered our life to Him.
The Apostle Paul went on to say:
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, '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’” (1 Corinthians 15:51-57). From our earthly perspective death seems tragic. It seems so final. It appears that death always wins. But Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated death. It was the death of death. Jesus’ resurrection assured our victory over death.
The hope that the resurrection brings does not eliminate all of our sorrow. We still mourn (Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus). We are still separated from our loved one who has passed. But the resurrection is the anchor that helps us weather the storm of grief. We may not be able to soar like an eagle or even run and not get weary, but we can walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Because we can look beyond the grave toward our heavenly home. Our hope is not in this life only, but in our risen Lord who has gone to prepare a place for us, and who is coming again to take us home.
My daughter took me to a Christian concert the other night. I was truly blessed by the music and the message that rang out in the convention center. The link right after this paragraph is one song that Phil Wickham sang. What a song! What a glorious truth! What a Savior and Lord!
Until next time, may His radiant hope burst forth in your life.
Thank you, Frank.