The Death of Death

 

If you’ve read any of Mark twain’s famous “Adventures of Tom Sawyer” you know that he (Sawyer) was quite the prankster. One time Sawyer convinced friends Huck Finn and Joe Harper to run away from home. By cover of night the three left their homes, snuck down to the river, and set out down-stream on a raft. They end up on Jackson’s Island where they fish and swim and have a jolly good old time for several days. Meanwhile, back at home, three families are in a state of near hysteria. After a few days of searching they concluded that the boys had gone to the river to fish and drowned, and planned their funeral for the following Sunday. Tom quietly returns to town and discovers the plan for the big funeral. On Sunday almost the entire town gathers at the church building where the preacher leads the sad and grieving crowd in eulogizing and mourning the poor boys whom death has claimed so early in life. Twain tells us that the congregation became more and more moved till the whole company broke down and joined the weeping mourners in a chorus of anguished sobs. Twain described the scene as the supposedly dead boys crash the funeral (chapter 17 of “Tom Sawyer”). “There was a rustle in the gallery (balcony) …a moment later the church door creaked; the minister raised his streaming eyes above his handkerchief, and stood transfixed! First one and then another pair of eyes followed the minister’s, and then with almost one impulse the congregation rose and stared while the three dead boys came marching up the aisle …They had been in the unused gallery listening to their own funeral sermon!” You don’t have to guess what happened next as the boys were smothered with kisses and hugs, and the once gloomy atmosphere turned to one of ecstasy and joy!

A long time ago in Persia, a benevolent ruler named Shah Abbas reigned. The story of him is told - to get to know his people better he wore disguises to mingle among them. One day he went as a poor man to the public baths and sat by the fireman tending the hot water furnace. At mealtime, he shared his food, and talked with the man as to a friend. Again and again he visited the fireman until the man grew to love him. Finally, the emperor revealed his identity to the fireman. The emperor expected the fireman to request a gift of him. However, the fireman requested nothing. With love and wonder, the fireman declared, “You left your palace and your glory to sit with me in this dark place, to partake of my coarse fare, and to care whether my heart was glad or sad. On others you may bestow rich presents, but to me you have given yourself.”

[1 Corinthians 15:50-58] Of course, we know a ruler far more benevolent than that Persian monarch. We know a ruler who left the ivory palaces of heaven to come and live among us. We know a ruler who became poor that we might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). We know a ruler who was such a friend to us that He gave His life to save us from Hell (John 15:1-15). Our King is Jesus Christ and the story isn’t over – He’s coming back (John 14:1-3)! Can you imagine the day when God robs the grave once and for all and buries death itself? The Bible invites us to do just that when it promises death will be swallowed up in victory (v. 54-55) as we finally defeat death and the grave through our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John the apostle stretches our minds with his apocalyptic description of the day of judgement when he saw, “…death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire…” (Revelation 20:14). Can you fathom the death of death itself and the day Jesus Christ presides over the funeral of death and the devil burying them in the lake of fire!? Surprise! I’m going to live in heaven with Jesus!