Title: The day that Death dies
A few weeks ago three sisters from this congregation, Suzanne, Charlene, and Donna, sang a beautiful song called the Shepherd Medley. But before they sang the song one of them, Charlene, gave a testimony telling the rest of the congregation just what this song meant to them, and the comfort that the shepherd of Israel had given to each of them when their mother died. But even though each of them found comfort in the knowledge that their mother had gone to be with the Lord there was still sadness, because death and the memory of it always brings sadness to the survivors. Along the same lines, not too long ago my wife Sheila told me that hard times were coming. And by that she meant that in the not too distant future we were going to have to bury our parents, perhaps our children, and maybe even each other. And when I stopped to consider what she said I realized that she was right, hard times were coming and the thought of what the future held was not a pleasant one. And the reason such thoughts trouble us so is because as far as our humanity is concerned there is nothing more heart- wrenching than to stand by helplessly and watch as the life slowly drains away from one that we love. And yet in spite of our natural tendencies the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thess. 4:13 that we should not sorrow over the loss of loved ones as do those who have no hope. Now what did Paul mean when he said that, and just what hope does the Christian have when Death finally comes calling? Well the answers to those questions can be found in our text for today. So if you would please turn with me to Luke 7:11-15.
“Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her; He had compassion on her and said to her, do not weep. Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, young man, I say to you arise. So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.”
The name of the town was Nain, a name that meant pleasant or delightful. And it was pleasant for it was a town that sat among rolling hills, hills that gave it a wonderful view. But the view was not the only thing that made Nain pleasant for there were the fig trees and olive groves, not to mention the bubbling brook that ran along side of it. Yes Nain was a pleasant place but on this particular day the town was not a picture of delight. Oh, everything that contributed to its postcard like beauty was still there, but today its pleasantness was obscured by something dark, something ominous, and something fearful – for today Death had come to town.
And like every other place that Death had ever visited in the past, tears and misery would be left behind because Death never leaves a town, village, or a city empty-handed, and the town of Nain was to be no exception to this rule. For just as it had done so often in the past, Death would claim yet another victim from among the inhabitants of Nain. But this time its victim wouldn’t be old or sick with the diseases that attend old age, but he would be young and in the prime of life. He would be a young man who would have his whole life before him, and yet, he would also be a man who would know the burden of responsibility. For you see his mother was a widow and he was her only son.
And as this young man lay dying no doubt this responsibility weighed heavily on his mind as thoughts of his poor mother and what would happen to her after he was gone consumed him. She had no husband, she had no other children that we know of, and in those days women as a rule did not work outside of the home as paid laborers. There was no welfare, social security, or any other type of government program aimed at alleviating the needs of the unfortunate. Why? Because politicians of that day didn’t consider such programs as being necessary. Instead it was believed that the welfare of a family rested with the individual members of that family not with society. And we can relate to that can’t we? For even today government is trying to cut its ties to the needy and to the destitute. And if it were not for individual families, or the Church, many would suffer for want of basic necessities.
And this was the condition of this young man’s mother. She had no one she could turn to for help. What was she to do when the Pharisees tried to take her home away from her, because like animals they always went after the weakest and those who had no one to help them (Matt. 23:14)? How would she buy food now that the source of her economic security was gone? Oh she had friends and was obviously well respected for the Scriptures tell us that, “a large crowd from the city was with her.” And yet her friends were like most people of that day. Not only did they have their own families to take care of, but unemployment was high and the tax rate under Rome was horrendous, and it wasn’t fair. And it wasn’t fair because usually through intimidation or extortion the tax collectors appointed by Rome would collect much more than required leaving very little for each family to live on. And because there was so little left over for the average family to live on there was even less to help out the less fortunate.
And so even though the widow of Nain had friends, friends who would no doubt help her if they could, she still had an uncertain future awaiting her because it was her son who was her real hope of economic stability – and now he was gone. As a matter of fact the situation was so bad for orphans and widows during this time that later, after the Lord had established His church, the apostle James was inspired to write in chapter 1 and verse 27 of his book that:
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble….”
But there was no church at this time and so the widow of Nain was for the most part on her own, and the enemy that man feared most, Death, did in Nain what Death does so well wherever it goes. It took one from the land of the living and affected the lives of many others.
And as it was leaving the town of Nain that day Death left in its wake a feeling of powerlessness and helplessness as it watched with detachment the agony and pain that those subject to its power were forced to endure. But today would be different because today something was going to happen that would challenge the power of Death over mankind forever. It would be something that had never happened before in Nain, something for which the whole creation had groaned and cried out for since the day that man allowed sin to enter the world through a single act of disobedience. Because today a Champion would appear who would stand as a bulwark against Death. And today Death would meet its match in the person of Jesus Christ.
What an exhibition of power that must have been. Picture it in your minds. Jesus and His disciples had left the city of Capernaum that morning and had walked the 20 miles or so down the hot and dusty roads of Galilee to arrive at the town of Nain. As He and His followers approached the town they couldn’t enter because a funeral procession had the entrance to the town blocked. So they stood there and watched as the mourners went by. Now as Jesus’ disciples looked upon the procession all they could see was a funeral, no big deal. They had seen many funerals and they had seen many mothers crying for loved ones who had died. They had no doubt seen so much of Death’s handiwork that they had become callused to it.
But the Master didn’t look at the funeral the way they did. Nor did He consider other things such as lunch or dinner after a 20-mile hike to be more important than the suffering this woman and her friends were experiencing. Because as He looked upon the corpse He knew that this was a young man, the only son of his mother, and that she was a widow. And as He looked at the young man’s mother He saw a woman in great need, a woman whose heart ached, not so much for herself, but for her son, her only son whom she was going to bury that day.
He saw not only the bitter grief she was forced to endure but He also knew the social stigma she would have to bear as well. Because you see, to the Jewish mind losing an only son was especially painful since it was often regarded as divine punishment for sin. And so Jesus saw a woman whose hope was gone, a woman who had to stand against not only Death, but also against the judgement of her own society and her own people. Now the Scripture tells us in Isaiah 53:3,4 that Jesus was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
And yet the sorrow and grief He was so familiar with belonged to us, not Him. But even though it was our sorrow and our grief He willingly picked those burdens up and carried them upon His own back. And so as Jesus looked upon this woman struggling under the burden she was carrying He was filled with compassion for her. And because of His compassion He was determined to help her. But His determination to help her was not in response to her petition for help because She didn’t ask for help. Nor was His determination to help her in response to personal faith. She exhibited no faith. But His determination to help her was in response to the pity which had welled up within Him. The same pity that caused the Father to mercifully send His own Son into the world when the world never asked for Him. And then, as He took His eyes off the woman and looked back at the lifeless body of her son He looked directly into the face of that old enemy of mankind - Death. And Death, looking back at Jesus with blank, expressionless eyes, saw only a man who would also one day be its victim.
But then something happened - the King spoke. And the authority in His voice brought a hush over the crowd and at His touch the pallbearers stood still. And in that voice that rang of authority Death heard something that it had never heard before. It heard a challenge to its authority and for the first time in its existence it felt the chill of fear. The same chill and the same fear that mankind has felt ever since death came into existence. Now the King’s first words were words of comfort and they were directed to the widow when He said: “do not weep.” Now for a mere man to say ‘do not cry’ would be foolishness because the reason for weeping would still exist. But as Jesus spoke to the widow there was something in His voice and actions that made her respond to Him and she knew in her heart that this man was able to do what no one else could do.
And as she stopped her crying and looked at Him, the Lord of Life fixed His gaze upon the dead body that was tightly clutched in the arms of Death and He said: “young man I say to you, arise!” And at that moment one of the greatest battles ever fought on man’s behalf took place! For just outside the gate of that town the Lord of Life and the lord of misery were locked in battle - and when the young man arose, Death fell at the feet of its Master. Now, have you ever wondered why Jesus even bothered to raise this young man from the dead? Have you ever wondered why Jesus would exert His mighty power and battle with something that threatened man and not Himself? He did it because His great power is matched only by His great pity. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 2 verses 14 and 15 Paul says:
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Because of His great love for all of mankind Jesus Christ took on human flesh with the intent of destroying not only death, but also the one who uses death to harass those who were created in the image of God – the Devil. His intent was to free men and women from their fear of and bondage to death. And that’s exactly what He did in the town of Nain that day. For He freed a young man from his bondage to Death and He freed an old woman from her fear of death. But this wouldn’t be the last time that Jesus and Death would face each other. For like its old ally the Devil, Death planned its revenge and waited for an opportune time to kill this One who had dared to challenge its authority over human flesh. And as Death bided its time its day of revenge finally came. Through political intrigue, lies, and a lot of help from sinful human beings who were already subject to its power, Death was allowed by divine providence to kill the Lord of Life on the cross. For the Scripture says: “and Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.” And when He breathed His last it was all over. As far as Death was concerned the war was won. For the One who had come to free mankind from Death was Himself a prisoner of Death. For three days Death exulted in its great victory. But at the end of those three days the celebration abruptly ended because something happened that would break the power of Death forever. For on that third day an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the huge stone that sealed the Lord’s tomb. And when that stone was removed from the mouth of the tomb the Lord snapped the chain death had wrapped Him in and He stepped out of that tomb alive!
Can you imagine the look of horror that must have been on the face of Death when the Lord of Life snapped the chains that Death had bound Him with? When that momentous event occurred Death knew that Jesus Christ was truly Lord of both the living and the dead. But the story doesn’t end there because even though Jesus defeated Death for all time, Death still lives on. And yet the day is fast approaching when the Lord will but say the word and Death itself will die. For we read in Rev. 20:14: “then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.” And when that wonderful day comes Death and the grave will be no more. But that day hasn’t come yet has it? Loved ones still continue to die don’t they? How then does the Christian benefit from Jesus Christ’s victory over death?
He benefits in this way. For the Christian Death does not come as an officer of the law. He doesn’t come as recompense for sins committed. And the reason he doesn’t come that way to the Christian is because the Christian’s guilt has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Himself and his pardon has been sealed by the Holy Spirit. And so for the Christian death comes as an angel of peace, because it is now by the hand of Death that we are freed from this house of clay and are able to go to be with the Lord forever. So Death for the one who belongs to Christ becomes a friend not an enemy. It’s nothing to be feared any longer for it is under the power of The King, the same power that you and I are under which is why the Lord says in Ps. 116:15:
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
So even when a loved one who believes in Jesus dies we don’t mourn for them as those who have no hope. Why, because we know that the temporary separation we must endure in the present is just that – temporary. For the day is coming when we will have an eternal reunion with those who had preceded us in death. For just as Jesus reunited the widow in the story with her son, so He will also reunite us with our loved ones, and what a day of rejoicing that will be!
But for those who do not know Christ there will be no reunion, only a separation that will never end. A couple of years ago the wife of an acquaintance from my secular job died. Many of this man’s coworkers, including myself, attended the memorial service. It was a rather unusual funeral service because since neither he nor his wife believed in God there was no Christian minister present and there were no hymns sung, only country and western songs like “on the road again” being played softly in the background. As this man went up to the podium to deliver the eulogy he spoke of his one and only hope. And the hope that he had was this: even though he knew he would never see his wife again, he believed that her spirit, or whatever there was left of her, was now free to travel throughout the universe unhindered by her material body.
And when the service was completed and we left the mortuary chapel he turned out the lights and shut the door behind him, a symbolism of his belief that he would never see her again. You see in his mind she was already becoming nothing more than a fading memory, because that’s all he could do to deal with the separation that had taken place. For him there was no end to his grief because he was right, he never would see his wife again because her guilt was not cleansed and her pardon was not sealed and the victory that Jesus had over Death could not benefit her one bit. And so there was nothing left but an empty feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness, the same feeling that the widow of Nain experienced when Death claimed the life of her son. Thank God that this is not what Christians have to look forward to, for thanks to Jesus Christ our futures are brighter than the present.
Now this is the type of sermon that normally gets preached on Easter Sunday, the Sunday that we normally celebrate Jesus’ victory over Death. But my dear friends every Sunday is a celebration of His victory over death. Every Sunday is a celebration of the eternal life and victory that every Christian shares in and through Jesus Christ. And every Sunday we should remember what He has done for us and joyfully proclaim with the apostle Paul: “…O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death and the victory of the grave are gone, forever removed from those who have put their trust in the Champion of mankind – Jesus Christ. But perhaps you are among those who don’t know Jesus. Perhaps some of you haven’t quite made up your minds and want a little more time to think about it. For you sin may still be very pleasant and you don’t want to be too hasty in giving it up. And if that’s how it is with you then the victory won on the cross by the Lord of Life so many years ago will not benefit you in the least. For you Death is very much alive and very much an enemy. And it simply bides its time until the day comes when it can swallow you up alive. And if that happens then hope dies the day you do because beyond the grave there are no second chances.
But you don’t have to perish for eternity. You don’t have to be chained in the dirty, dark, recesses of hell because today Jesus offers you freedom, freedom from death and freedom from the fear of death, the same freedom that He gives to all who put their trust in Him. And the freedom that He offers to you is just one heart-felt prayer away. For the Lord promises based upon His own word that He will not cast away any who come to Him. And because of that promise if today you will turn your heart towards Jesus and say: “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner,” then He will save you from Death - today. He won’t save you in 5 days, 5 hours, or even in 5 minutes, but He’ll save you right now.
My dear friends listen to the Holy Spirit who is even now trying to draw you to the Lord, who is even now trying to persuade you to turn to Jesus for pardon. Don’t procrastinate and don’t wait to call upon Him because you never know when Death will be allowed to take you away. And if he takes you away in your sins, without Christ, then there is no hope in the grave where you are going, just eternal wrath, darkness, hopelessness, and fear.
