May 25 ,2023
The Power of God Over Death
“The Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death. Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, He is our God; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’”
John 8:52-56 (NASB)
Some fear death. Some do not. Those who fear death sometimes allow it to rule their life while it robs it’s quality. It brings fear of its finality. The fearful one thinks, “What happens when it’s all over?” “What do I face then?” “Will there be some sort of reckoning?” “Every attempt of man to effect his own escape from death and to merit life by his achievements is simply another effort to live of himself, and it thus entangles him the more in sin and death, so that even the Law, which ought to lead him to life, leads him to death (Rom. 7:10). He cannot liberate himself.”[1] Those who do not fear death, know that it brings reconciliation. The Christian doesn’t fear it. God controls this by His hand. “The controlling thought is that God deals with the world through Christ (2 Cor. 5:19), and that inasmuch as in this action God took death to Himself in Christ it lost its destructive character and became a creative divine act. Thus the resurrection is grounded in Christ’s death. This death removed sin and it therefore removed death.”[2] Isn’t it interesting how sin and death are interwoven one day to be disposed?
“Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.” Abraham all their patriarchs died. No one had the power to defeat it. Jesus told the Jews if they “kept” (or observe and conform) His words “would taste of death.” This would take a divine act of God to overcome death. The Jews’ replied, “Now we know that You have a demon.” They thought only a crazy person would make such a statement. They questioned Jesus’ authority and identity. Jesus told the Jews His authority came from the Father, and they couldn’t understand what He was saying because, “you have not come to know Him.” Then Jesus revealed their true heritage, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” It wasn’t what they thought. Even Abraham looked forward to Jesus’ coming. No person would ever make this statement if he were possessed by a demon. The Jews heritage revealed they were the ones possessed by demons as they stood accusing Jesus. They wanted to murder the very One in whose coming Abraham rejoiced.[3]
If we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are part of the heritage of God. We will never taste death (a separation from God). All of us will die physically one day, unless the Rapture occurs, but we can be sure God has all this worked out. So our confidence comes from Him and His finished work. Today, rejoice to see the day Christ comes!
[1] Rudolf Bultmann, “Θάνατος, Θνῄακω, Ἀποθνῄσκω, Συναποθνῄσκω, Θανατόω, Θνητός, Ἀθανασία (ἀθάνατος),” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 16.
[2] Ibid, 18.
[3] (John MacArthur, 2006), 383.