The story is told of a gravestone inscribed with the words, “Pause now stranger as you pass by; for as you are so once was I; And as I am so you will be; Prepare yourself to follow me.” The person reading the inscription was bothered by how it ended and placed a piece of wood next to the gravestone with words burned into it saying, “To follow you I’m not content, until I know which way you went.”
Death is shrouded in mystery for the living. The casket, grave, and cemetery remind us of our mortality. The death of loved ones grieves our hearts while stirring questions about the life after. The resurrection of Jesus from the grave turns my attention to Him for answers. His resurrection is recorded in the Bible. The boldness of the disciples demonstrates that something miraculous happened. His appearance to as many as five hundred people at one time after His resurrection proves it was not a hoax or a tale. His tomb was empty and He was alive.
Jesus raised others from the dead. The difference between their resurrection and His resurrection is that they died again. He did not. After raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:256-26, NKJ). The words of the Lord suggest at least two truths.
One, the resurrection of the dead is based in Jesus. The power of resurrection is rooted in Him. He created life and He restores life. The God who blew into man the breath of life has the power to raise the dead body to new life. He is the One who conquered death and can give new life. The writer of Hebrews explains, “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Hebrews 2:14-15, NLT). Followers of Christ do not have to live in the fear of death anymore.
Two, those who die as Christians are not really dead. Though the body has died, the spirit and soul are still alive. They are absent from this body but present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:8). The Bible says, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (II Corinthians 5:1, NLT). Do you believe this?