Death often steals from us the ones we love, but as followers of Christ — the separation is only temporary. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that just as death could not hold Him (Acts 2:22-24), so too the tomb cannot cling to the children, parents, relatives, and friends who have died before us (cf. John 11:25-44; Romans 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14).Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of our hope.
The story is told of a soldier in the Crimean War, who was somehow able to crawl back to his tent after he was shot. When he was later found, he was lying face-down, his open Bible before him, his hand stuck to one of the pages by his blood which covered it. When his hand was lifted, some of the words from the printed page were clearly visible on it.
The verse was this:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).
Beloved reader, we should all want a religion like that — one which can comfort even in death, and can again unite us with our loved ones. What gloom and darkness would settle upon this world were it not for the glorious doctrine of the resurrection! (1 Corinthians 15:1-58).
If we are grieving because we’ve lost a loved one to death, let’s find comfort in this fact: Because Jesus lives, we too shall live! (1 Corinthians 15:20-22; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 8:10-11).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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