As many of you know, I recently lost my father who died after a period of declining
health. In the midst of grief, it can be difficult to see the hope of eternal life through the pain
of death and loss.
Some Christians in the early church became troubled when members of their
fellowship experienced physical death. If Christ had been raised from the dead, why were
Christians dying? Some began to doubt if promise of resurrection in Christ would indeed
come to pass. In 1 Corinthians 15, often known as the “Resurrection Chapter” of the Bible, the
Apostle Paul reassures the Corinthian Christians of the hope they have in Jesus’ resurrection
for their own resurrection to eternal life. In verses 21-22, Paul explains, “For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam,
so all will be made alive in Christ.” Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we too have the promise of resurrection from the dead.
Even though we will all experience physical death, in Christ, scripture tells us that we will one day experience resurrection to eternal life. Here and now, we grieve those who die, those loved ones who are no longer with us. Believing in resurrection does not mean that we don’t feel sad or don’t grieve those we’ve lost. We experience grief and loss, but we do so with hope in Jesus Christ. Elsewhere in the New Testament, Paul affirms, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Death brings loss and sorrow. It is perfectly natural to grieve the loss of those we love. God’s presence
comforts us in our grief. Yet, even in the midst of grief, we have the great promise from scripture that death is not the end…it is not the final word. I miss my dad very much, and know that I will be grieving his loss for a long time to come. Yet, even as I experience grief and sadness at Dad’s passing, I have hope in Jesus Christ that one day we will all experience life for eternity in him.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, 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 15:54-56)
May this promise comfort us in our times of grief and loss.
Blessings,
Pastor Hilary Livingston
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