Conquered Death

March 22

(Luke 7:11-15 NIV) “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. {12} As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. {13} When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." {14} Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" {15} The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. {17} After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. {18} Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

Death and dying strike at the very core of our being. This is why people are so uncomfortable at funerals. We are faced with the death of someone we have known and loved… but we are also faced with our own mortality. We cannot ponder their death without considering our own. This can leave us feeling helpless and hopeless. But for the Christian, there is the resurrection. We live with the assurance of eternal life and we have a living Savior to prove it. When Jesus walked this Earth, He broke up every funeral service he ever attended. He spoke life into the dead, and the mourning was over. Jesus loves to speak life into people! He is the giver and sustainer of life. So if you need to get a life, come to Him. If you’re tired of the death and destruction caused in your life by the gods you’ve been following, come to the one God who gives true life. Come to Jesus. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day