Most of us at one time or another has visited a cemetery. You go to pay your respects and show your love for those who have already passed on by laying flowers or some other memento on their grave. Grief is a lifelong process requiring dependence on God’s grace as we adjust to the changes death brings.
The Bible says that death is not your friend; death is your foe. I Corinthians 15:25-26 says, “For He (Jesus) must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key foundation of the whole Christian faith. Without the resurrection, Christianity is meaningless. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (I Corinthians 15:14-15 NIV). Jesus’ empty grave makes your faith useful. The resurrection makes your faith useful in many ways, but especially in relationship to the losses we experience in life. Easter is especially significant for followers of Jesus who have recently lost loved ones.
The first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas, and the first birthday are celebrations that strike grieving hearts with resonating sadness. We remember the tradition our loved one used to perform. We remember where they sat at the table. We remember their clichés and mannerisms during the holidays. And with each rememberance we feel the bitter sting of our lifelong foe, death.
Easter shouldn’t be like that. If your faith in Christ is going to be useful, then Easter is the Christian celebration that really puts your faith muscle to work. Paul magnified the impact of the resurrection when he wrote to the Corinthians, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Corinthians 15:20 NIV). The most common euphemism for the death of the believer in the New Testament is ‘fallen asleep.’ For the Christian, death is not the end of life; it is a gateway into the eternal presence of the loving Father.
Knowing that our Christian loved ones are literally with Christ, and one day will be physically resurrected fills our hearts with living hope. Easter is useful because it is a historical marker that points past our struggles of everyday living to an eternal rest we find only in Jesus. Easter doesn’t just bring healing to the grieving heart. Easter is the exclamation mark at the end of God’s sentence, “It is finished!” Easter is the shout of victory at the end of the battle. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The influence that cruel death holds over the grieving is crushed because Jesus crushed death on that resurrection morning. I love the angel’s response to the women at the tomb. “I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:5-6 NIV). Easter is our once a year reminder that every single day, Jesus does exactly what He said He would do!
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:57 NIV). I don’t know about you, but I find that very, very useful.

Category : Tommy Talk