When Death Must Serve The Gospel

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Death is the greatest evil. It is the great enemy of mankind. Indeed, it has been said before that death is the mother of all the ills of life. And so, death is not our friend. It is not a natural companion. It is not something to be embraced as though it belongs in God’s good creation. No, death wounds us. It stings us. It terrifies us. It causes us to suffer, to fear, and to tremble. And because of this, we must ask the questions: 

Why is there death? 

Why is there suffering? 

Why do people die?

The Christian answer is very concise:

It is because of sin.

That is right, dear friends, death exists because of sin. You die because you are a sinner—plain and simple. Death is the punishment for the world’s disobedience. Death entered this world through sin, and through sin it spread to all mankind. This is why there is suffering. This is why bodies weaken. This is why bones ache. This is why tears are shed at hospital bedsides and gravesides. Death exists because sin exists.

And so, not only are the devil and sin our enemies, but death is our enemy as well. Death is the final enemy.

But here is something peculiar for you to contemplate this morning: the unbelieving pagan world’s view of death is far different from the Christian’s. You see, much of life in this fallen world is spent trying to keep death at bay. The pagan world labors endlessly to keep death at a distance. It tries to hedge its bets against the grave. It seeks to push death further down the road. It tries to keep death from its doorstep for just a little while longer.

We see this all around us.

As the body begins to ache and the bones start to weaken, the unbelieving world often clutches even tighter to its wallets and purses, as though money and resources might somehow keep death from drawing near. There is this idea that if one can just save enough, if one can just accumulate enough, if one can just have enough resources, then perhaps the blows of old age can be softened and the effects of death somehow deterred.

Others go a different route. They convince themselves that they are perpetually young. We hear it all the time: fifty is the new forty, sixty is the new fifty, and seventy—well, compared to those in their eighties—is still considered young. And so, there is this constant effort to believe that one is still in the prime of life.

Furthermore, consider all the efforts of Botox, plastic surgery, makeup, hair dye, and every sort of cosmetic treatment to cover up the signs of aging. Wrinkles are hidden. Gray hair is covered. The marks of time are concealed. Many do this in the hope of believing that they are still in the prime of life, still thirty and living it up.

And if we look closely, we see this on an even larger scale. The wealthy and powerful spend millions of dollars on transhumanist dreams, medical science, longevity research, and all sorts of technological advancements, trying to gain just another ten years, another five years, another day.

Indeed, dear friends, this is the way of the unbelieving world. This is the way of the pagan. Death is seen as something to be delayed, denied, disguised, and pushed away for as long as possible. The unbelieving world labors endlessly to keep death at a distance, as though it can somehow be outmaneuvered.

But the Christian knows something different.  The Christian knows the truth. 

The Christian knows that death cannot ultimately be avoided by money, medicine, cosmetics, or technological advancements. The Christian knows that the Lord God is so good that even death must serve the Lord’s redemptive plan.  Yes, hear that again, the Christian knows that even death must serve God’s plan of redemption.  

Dear friends, while death is our obvious enemy, please hear this loud and clear: 

The Lord uses death to serve our best interests.  

Straighten up in those pews and open your ears! 

We live this life in the vale of tears.  From our conception to our death, we trudge through this world of sin, death, and suffering.  Yes, there are mountain-top experiences in this life.  Yes, there are times of joy; there are glimmers of light. But as a whole, this life is characterized as a battle with sickness, suffering, danger, trouble, and hard work.  In the words of the Dread Pirate Roberts, 

“Life is pain… Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

To the point, every day that we awake, breathe, and live is another day that we battle against sin, death, and the devil.  Now, if you think this is too pessimistic, well… I would challenge you to stop and pinch yourself to see if you are still flesh and blood.  And if you are, then you should consider what the Bible says about you in Romans 7 and Galatians 5. Also, I would challenge you to look around and see whether you are still living in this world, and remember that there is no lack of sin and trouble.  To the point, I would challenge you to consider whether you recognize and hate your sin as you should.

So, what does this mean then?  It means that, according to the Law, death is your enemy. But – pay attention - according to the Gospel, death marks the end of your struggle with sin, suffering, and the pains of this fallen world.  Indeed, while death is your enemy, as a Christian and according to the Gospel, you can look at death as the end of all your sinning and suffering.

This is why you, as a Christian, view death differently from the unbelieving pagan world.  You see death as the end of the war with your Old Adam.  You see death as a departure from this valley of tears unto the peace of Christ.

But mark this, the pagan and unbelieving world will not understand this.  They will view us Christians as peculiar, for the pagan and unbelieving world spends the majority of its time running away from death.  

So, why is there such a difference between the Christian and the pagan?  What’s the catch? 

The catch is the empty tomb.  Yes, the reason why you – as a Christian – can view death the way that you do is that Christ is risen.  

* * *

I can say that, after being a pastor for over 20 years, Christians grieve differently at funerals.  It saddens my heart to say this, but unbelievers literally fall apart at the death of a loved one.  Now, please know that I am not saying that Christians do not grieve at the loss of a loved one.  Christians and pagans both grieve.  However, Christians grieve with hope, while pagans grieve with no hope.  The pagan’s grief is often unhinged, lost, frantic, and overwhelmed with the terrors and horrors of death.  For the pagan, death is total and complete bitterness.  It is nothing but a sting.  But for the Christian, death still bears its sting according to the flesh, but in Christ, it is no longer ultimate bitterness. Rather, the death of a Christian is the passage from this difficult life into the blessed peace of Christ.

* * *

But again, why do you, as a Christian, have such confidence? It is because on Good Friday, your sin and death hung on Christ’s neck as He suffered in your place. On Good Friday, Christ bore your guilt, carried your shame, and took your condemnation. Yes, on that dark Friday, sin and death clung to Christ as He went to the cross for you.

But today, on Easter morning, sin and death have completely disappeared from the neck of Christ. They are gone. 

Baptized Saints, consider the empty tomb – Christ is risen from the dead. And because Christ is risen from the dead, you too will rise from the dead. Because the grave gave Him up, the grave will one day give you up as well. 

Indeed, dear friends, Christ has done more than merely survive death. He has conquered it. And because of this, Death no longer gets the final word over you. The grave is no longer your permanent home. The cemetery is not your final destination. The tomb is but a temporary resting place for the baptized.

For on the great Last Day, the same Lord who stepped out of His tomb alive will call you forth from yours. Yes, on that great and glorious day, the graves shall burst open. Your body and soul will be reunited. And you shall stand alive before the Lord—fully alive, whole, restored, glorified, and never to die again.

And so, dear Baptized Saints, take heart this day. Take courage this Easter morning. Death may still sting, but it cannot condemn. Death may still strike, but it cannot keep. Death may still bury, but it cannot hold, for Christ is risen.

Christ has conquered sin. He has conquered the devil. He has conquered your death. And because He lives, you shall live also. 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.