Three friends were discussing death and one asked the group, “What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?” The first one responded, "I’d like them to say ‘He was a great humanitarian, who cared about his community.’” The friend who started the conversation replied, "I’d like them to say ‘He was a great husband and father, who was an example for many to follow.’" They nodded in agreement and looked to the third friend who had been silent. Without hesitation he concluded, "I’d like them to say ‘Look, he’s moving!!’”
Actor and director Woody Allen voiced the same feelings when he said, “I am not afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
Death can be a very intimidating subject to talk or think about. In fact, some of us would rather not talk about death. We are uncomfortable with the idea of death.
Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a Bible study at a prison. As we pulled up to the gate of the prison, the guard asked if I had any ID. I showed him my drivers’ license and then he looked at me and said, “Keep that on you in case we have to identify your body later.” I kind of laughed; but he didn’t. Needless to say I was a little on edge as we pulled away from the gate.
We find ourselves being very uncomfortable with the idea of death. It has become almost taboo with some people to discuss death. In fact, some people have come up with certain ideas or beliefs to help them deal with the thought of death.
Some people tell themselves: I am going to live forever! Now obviously people know this isn’t true, but some people act like it is! That’s why they will not eat certain foods or enjoy various activities because they are taking precautions so that they will never die. They are in extreme denial.
Others will tell themselves: Hey, I’ll get a mulligan after this life. Those of you who golf understand what I’m talking about. A mulligan is a “do-over.” There are some people who believe that if they mess up here, they will get another shot after their death.
This way of thinking can be found in a couple religions. In the nation of India they believe in reincarnation. When you walk there you must be careful not to step on an aunt or uncle.
Others have the belief in a place called Purgatory. This is a place that you can go to where you make payment for your sins. This option is built on the false premise that we can atone for our own sins, that what Jesus accomplished on the cross in our behalf was just the beginning.
However, the Bible teaches that we cannot pay for our sins. Our righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s eyes. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” We clearly see that the Bible says we are to die once, and then face judgment.
Others will tell themselves this: Death is the end of everything. Death is all there is. It is the end of existence.
Jesus said in John 5:28 - 29, “for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” Life ends in death. Death is followed by judgment and judgment by eternity. Jesus makes it clear. Judgment will not be same for all.
You probably heard about the older lady who was riding on a crowded bus. She was quietly reading her Bible when a rather distinguished looking man took the seat beside her. After a while he noticed her reading material. He introduced himself. “Hello, I am Professor Smith. I teach philosophy at the university. Don’t tell me you actually believe that stuff you are reading?”
“I certainly do,” the elderly lady replied. “Every word of it.” “Even that story about the Jonah and the whale,” challenged the professor with a smirk. “Of course,” was the quick reply. “Can you prove to me that the story is true?” he asked next. Knowing what she believed but also knowing she wasn’t about to win any arguments with the professor, she simply said, “Well, when I get to Heaven, I’ll ask Jonah.” The professor smiled, “Well, what if Jonah’s not in Heaven?” The little lady laid her Bible down, looked the professor square in the eye and sternly declared, “Then you can ask him!”
You often hear people argue that spiritual matters aren’t really all that important because we are headed to the same place any way. Those who make that claim are at least partly right. We are all headed to the same place. The judgment of God! That is where the path separates. Jesus said there are two roads, the straight and narrow or the broad and wide. One is popular, the other less so. One leads to life and the other to destruction. Death is not the end. We are destined once to die and then the judgment.
Sadly there are many people who face death with uncertainty and fear. People say that you cannot know what is out there. We cannot be sure or confident.
But listen to the rest of Hebrews 9:28, “27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
Our Creator did not make us to simply die. HE made us for life and fellowship with Him forever.
So we have these views of death: I’m going to live forever (which is denial). I’ll get a mulligan. Death is the end. And death means uncertainty and fear.
How should a Christian view death?
To answer this question I want us to look in 1 Corinthians 15 this morning. 1 Corinthians 15 is the longest chapter in the book of 1 Corinthians. Paul begins the chapter by reminding the church of the Gospel, or good news.
He writes in verse 3 and following, “3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Paul is going into great detail in this chapter to answer how a Christian should view death. He begins by giving evidence of Christ’s resurrection. This was not just something that people made up. Jesus appeared to over 500 different individuals.
Then Paul writes in verses 12 through 19 about the repercussions if there was not a resurrection. If Christ was not raised from the dead, then we have no hope. If Christ was not resurrected, we have no future to worry about it.
Then in verses 20 - 49 Paul writes more about God’s plan for resurrection. But then we come to verses 50 - 58, which is our main text this morning. These verses are Paul’s conclusion to the matter. And the way he concludes this discussion in chapter 15 is by working his way to a great climax: we have victory over death!
A Christian can face death with certainty and hope. I love that word “hope.” So much of the time today it’s misunderstood. The word hope is used in a way that is filled with uncertainty. We’ll say, “I hope this is going to happen.” But that is not Christian hope. Christian hope is a certainty that because Jesus lives we will live as well.
Benjamin Franklin captured this idea of hope when he wrote his epitaph before he died. Here is what Ben Franklin wanted on his tombstone: “The body of B. Franklin, Printer (Like the Cover of an Old Book, Its Contents torn Out And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding) Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be Lost; For it will (as he Believ’d) Appear once More In a New and More Elegant Edition Revised and Corrected By the Author.”
Now isn’t that the hope we have? That though we have physically died, we are certain that one day we will see God and He will give us a new body.
The Apostle Paul tells us that…
WE WILL BE CHANGED
Listen to verses 50 - 52, “50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
“The last trumpet” was an expression used in Paul’s day that came from observing the Roman army. When the Roman army was in camp, and the camp was about to be broken, they were going to move on, a trumpet would sound three times. The first trumpet blast signaled that they were to take their tents down and prepare to depart. The second trumpet meant they were to fall in line, into their regiments and prepare to leave. The third trumpet was the signal to move out.
As Christians, I think we have heard some trumpet blasts from the Lord. Do you remember when you heard the first trumpet, when God called you to take down the old tent of this earth and follow Him? You have heard the second trumpet and our assembled with God’s people waiting the coming of the Lord. We do not know when that third and last trumpet will sound, but we believe it is coming and we will march away. And this is a good thing.
We often look at death as a bad thing, but for the Christian it’s a good thing. We are not properly equipped to enter the kingdom of God in our current condition. These bodies we have cannot inherit eternal life. Can you imagine how horrible it would be to go through eternity with this body we have? Can you imagine the aches and pains we would have? Heaven would not be heaven with these present bodies we have.
But we have a hope that we will all be changed. Just like a caterpillar goes through a transformation in the cocoon before he can fly, you and I will go through a similar transformation.
In the same way as a seed which is planted in the ground dies, later there is an amazing change which takes place. We will come up with a different body, I believe it will still be us, I’ll still be Wade Allen, just in a better looking body. We’ll be in a different form, because we cannot inherit the kingdom of God in our current state.
Death can actually be a blessing for a Christian. Death is the avenue where we can receive our new body. “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.”
During the United States Civil War there was a group of soldiers who spent a winter’s night without their tents in the open field. During the night there was a great snowfall of several inches, and at dawn one of the chaplains - up very early, reported a strange sight. He said that all the snow-covered soldiers lying on their beds, they looked like the mounds of new graves. At dawn when the bugle of the revelry sounded these men immediately stood up and rose from that mound of snow. The Chaplain’s mind immediately went to 1 Corinthians 15, and he thought of the last trump and the dead being raised!
Isn’t it incredible that we can say today, we all shall be changed and this body which is corrupted will be replaced with a body that is incorruptible!
But also notice that this change results in our ultimate…
VICTORY
Listen to verses 53 - 54, “53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
When that change takes place, we will have victory. In fact, Paul cannot even help himself, he breaks out into praise to God.
Verses 55 - 57, “55Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A few months ago I told you about a family driving on vacation and a bumblebee flew into the car. One of the children was deathly allergic to bee stings, in fact he had nearly died from one. The allergist warned the family that another such sting could be fatal. When that bee flew into the car the boy became hysterical. But his quick-thinking father pulled off of the road and caught the bee in his hand, and the boy relaxed.
After a moment, the dad let the bee go. Once again the boy became upset and did everything he could trying to get away from the bee. But the dad, calmed him saying, "Don’t worry, son. You don’t have to be afraid." And the father showed his son the palm of his hand that was beginning to swell, and revealed the stinger. The dad said, “It’s okay. All he can do is buzz. This is what could have killed you, but I took the sting away.” Our Heavenly Father sent Jesus so He could take the sting of death away from us as well.
Do you see what Paul is saying here? “O death, where is your sting?” We know that the “wages of sin is death.” But Christ has paid our debt. So we can answer that question Paul asks. The stinger of death was put into Christ at Calvary. And because of that fact, it can never sting us.
Max Lucado, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily. A hospital was not too terribly far away- just across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed it was inhabited by evil spirits. To enter the water would mean certain death. The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. They were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He punched a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke out into a cheer and followed him across.
That’s exactly what Jesus did! He told the people of His day that they need not fear the river of death, but they wouldn’t believe. He touched a dead boy and called him back to life. They still didn’t believe. He whispered life into the body of a dead girl and got the same result. He let a dead man spend 4 days in a tomb and then called him out and the people still didn’t believe Him. Finally, He entered the river of death and came out on the other side. Victory!
“O Victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever, He sought me and he Bought me with His redeeming Blood; He Loved me ere I knew Him, And all my Love is due Him, He Plunged me to Victory, Beneath the Cleansing Flood.”
Listen to verse 58, “58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
If we really believe in the resurrection then we will be free from the fear of death. And when we are free from the fear of death, we will become a transformed people in the present. When you are transformed in the present, you can stand firm. Nothing will move you. You can fully give yourself to the Lord’s work because you know that nothing we do for God is in vain.
Think of that hymn “When the Roll is Called up Yonder.” The last verse says, “Let us labour for the Master, From the dawn ’til setting sun; Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care. Then when all our life is over, And our work on earth is done, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”
Will you be there? Are you free from the fear of death? You can be.
I joked earlier about being worried going into the prison last week. And after we pulled away from the gate, I must confess I was a little worried. But then I remembered this verse, “13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
I remembered that I can know whether or not I am saved. And once I remembered that I am saved, I have already won the victory over death, then death is no big deal. The worst they could do to me is actually the best thing that could ever happen.
So I ask again this morning… are you free from the fear of death? Do you know that you have eternal life?
