Death. Death might be the most difficult pain we face on this earth. It’s hard losing those we love, unable to see them or speak with them.
My 97 year old grandmother recently passed away. She had a difficult life. At age 3, her mom died. She was shuffled from relative to relative. She felt lost, afraid and unwanted. She carried those feelings with her throughout her life. Later, she married a Christian man and found her hope in the Lord. She had a loving son, daughter and eventually, 4 granddaughters and 6 great grandchildren. Yet, even surrounded by love and family, she suffered from anxiety, depression, and trauma from her younger days.
Finally free
At her funeral, while we felt sadness and loss, the hope of Christ permeated our thoughts and words. The sting of death was gone and in its place, peace and joy remained. We knew she was finally at rest with her Savior. We knew she finally felt ultimate joy that she never felt on earth. We knew that she was finally healed, free and in the Light, after 97 years of the pain and darkness of depression.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
The sting of death
Jesus felt loss, too.
In John 11:35, Jesus wept. His friend Lazarus, whom it says that Jesus loved, had died. Jesus, who knew there was eternal life, felt the pain of losing his dear friend. He cried. And then He rose his friend from the dead.
Jesus is the ultimate victory over the sting of death.
Life in this world is often painful. Loving the Lord will not make the circumstances disappear. People we love get sick and die. Some of us suffer from depression, illness, or other burdens and losses. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to feel sad and hurt, like Jesus did. But we know, in the end, there will be victory over all of it. Jesus is the ultimate victory over the sting of death.
Read also: Broken but beautiful
