August 30

Victory Over Death

He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken. — Isa 25:8 BSB

“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” — 1 Cor 15:55 BSB

For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ — Rev 7:17 BSB

In this marvelous chapter, Isaiah sings a Song of Hope as he envisions the return of the Hebrew people from captivity and the defeat of their enemies. The Apostle Paul takes up this theme in 1 Corinthians 15, where he explains that death is the result of sin, and sin gains its power from the law. But Christ has satisfied the demands of the law, enabling us to obey it through His grace. Thus, the power of sin is broken, and the sting of death is removed.

Christians need not fear death. For us, the future holds no uncertainty. We need not fear what happens after death because the condemnation of the law has been lifted. We can speak to death with confidence: its sting is gone, its prison can no longer hold us. Bunyan describes Satan as commanding Captain Sepulchre to hold Christ, but the command was futile. No bars or guards could keep Him captive.

Paul describes death as the moment when we “put on” immortality and incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). It’s as if the new body is placed over the old, and in that moment, the old is swallowed up and transformed. When the Holy Spirit completes His work in us, the old, broken elements of our nature will be replaced with the radiant robes of righteousness. For believers, death is not something to fear but a homecoming—a falling asleep only to awaken in the presence of God. “There will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain.”

Prayer

O God, when we struggle to understand Your ways in nature or in the soul, may our trust and faith in You grow stronger. Like children who are confident in their parents’ love, may we always trust in You, facing life without fear and death without fainting. Amen.