Transformed – teen devotion – April 17, 2022
One truth shared: Easter causes us to confidently, continually proclaim—Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Life Marches Victorious Over Death
Death had its moment in the Garden. Even though Satan tried to convince Eve “You will not surely die” if she would just take hold of the fruit and eat it, death became a reality for the world’s first couple—and every person and couple after them—because sin had entered the world.
Death had its moment for the children of Israel. God gave them a new land with everything needed to not only survive, but also thrive. But they were scared—intimidated by the people of Canaan. So God had them wander—wandering for 40 years until the desert floor God confined them to was littered with their lifeless bodies.
Death had its moment on Calvary. Christ, the Son of the Almighty, had been brutalized, beaten, and crucified—hanging there until his heart stopped beating and his lifeless body was taken down to be buried in a tomb.
Yes, death had its moment. But it didn’t last. And why? Because “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” The tomb couldn’t hold the triumphant Son of the Most High. He had paid the price. He had won the battle for our souls and the war for our salvation. Bursting forth from the tomb, we witness the Father’s stamp of approval on a mission perfectly completed.
In the resurrection, we see that life marches victorious over death. Death still has its moments, including the one you and I will eventually have with it. While it remains a reality for all who are born into this sinful world, it is not the end. It’s described by the apostle Paul as a “sleep.” People wake up from sleep. Sleep is welcomed. Sleep refreshes and prepares us for what is next.
And what is next for the believer in Jesus? An eternity with him in heaven. Paul adds, “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We are victorious because Jesus was victorious. We have heaven because Jesus suffered hell. Our sins are washed away because Jesus took them on himself to the cross. Death had its moment. But we have eternity because Christ conquered death and has given us the victory in him alone!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you conquered death that first Easter Sunday and burst forth from the tomb. Fill my heart with Easter joy, reminding me daily that because you live, I also will live eternally with you in heaven. Amen.
