Authority Over Death

Luke chapter 8, verse 46 to 56.

Luke 8:46–56

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue.

And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house,

for he had an only daughter, about 12 years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for 12 years.

And though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.

She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment.

And immediately, her discharge of blood ceased.

And Jesus said, Who was it that touched me?

When all denied it, Peter said, Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you.

But Jesus said, Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.

And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling.

And falling down before him, declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him

and how she had been immediately healed.

And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well.

Go in peace.

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said,

Your daughter is dead.

Do not trouble the teacher anymore.

But Jesus, on hearing this, answered him,

Do not fear.

Only believe, and she will be well.

And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him

except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child.

And all were weeping and mourning for her.

But he said, Do not weep, for she is not dead, but sleeping.

And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

But taking her by the hand, he called, saying, Child, arise.

And her spirit returned, and she got up at once.

And he directed that something should be given her to eat.

And her parents were amazed.

But he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

This is the word of the Lord.

If you survey people in different parts of the world

about what the biggest problems facing humanity are,

you will get a variety of answers depending on what part of the world you're in.

But there will likely be some common answers.

Some might say natural disasters.

Some might say demons.

Some might say diseases.

Others might say death.

In the ancient world, these four things were seen as the chief problems that beset humanity.

Disasters, demons, diseases, and death.

And in chapter 8, Luke intentionally recounts events

that systematically demonstrate that Jesus has mastery over all four of these things.

So in Luke 8, 22 to 25, Jesus calmed the storm at sea,

showing his mastery over nature and over natural disasters.

In Luke 8, 26 to 39, Jesus cured a demoniac, a demon-possessed man,

showing his mastery over even the most powerful and stubborn demons.

And then in today's passage, we see a double miracle where Jesus shows his mastery over diseases

and even death itself.

And Luke's purpose in telling us these stories is to assure us that no matter how desperate our situation is,

whatever problems we might be facing in our world,

we can trust in Jesus who can save us.

Jesus who raises the dead.

That's really the main point of this passage.

So first, we'll look at the disease, verses 48 to 48, verses 40 to 48,

and then we'll look at death in verses 49 to 56.

So let's turn to verses 40 to 48 first and look at the disease that Jesus shows mastery over.

When Jesus returned, it says, to the Jewish region of Galilee after the healing of the demoniac,

in the Gentile region of the Gerasenes,

it says at verse 40 that the crowd welcomed him.

So he's come back to the Jewish part of the region on the other side of the Sea of Galilee,

and they're welcoming him.

They were waiting for him.

And there was also a man named Jairus who was a ruler of the synagogue.

The Jewish religious leaders, as we've seen throughout the Gospel of Luke,

have generally been opposed to Jesus.

But in this case, he's an exception to the rule.

He seems favorable toward Jesus.

He seems open to him.

And there's a good reason for that,

because he's in a very desperate situation and needs Jesus' help.

He's described as a ruler of the synagogue,

which means he was the main elder of the local synagogue.

So the Christian equivalent would be the senior pastor of a church.

And he functions as kind of a civic leader as well.

So it's a little more than just the pastor of a church here.

He's a leader of the synagogue,

but also a civil kind of society leader for the Jews.

But notwithstanding that man's kind of elevated position,

it says in verses 41 to 42,

that falling at Jesus' feet,

he implored him to come to his house.

For he had an only daughter,

about 12 years of age,

and she was dying.

Luke is fond of adding details like that,

that add kind of this emotional weight to the stories.

This is Jairus' only daughter.

He's so desperate that he forsakes all else

and comes to Jesus and falls at his feet

and begs him to come.

And this is tragic,

because this girl is described as about 12 years of age.

That means, as the ancient world,

and actually even nowadays people reckon it,

she's just entering the prime of her life.

12 is the average age when women have their first period.

She is just entering the physical prime as a grown woman.

And she is languishing and dying.

And not only that,

this is Jairus' only daughter.

This is the baby girl.

And if you're a father of a baby girl,

you know exactly what I'm talking about.

This is the girl that he's been doting on for his entire life.

This is his darling.

And he's so desperate.

And Jesus listens to Jairus' heartfelt plea.

But as Jesus went,

it says in verses 42 to 43,

that the people pressed around him,

and there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for 12 years.

And though she had spent all her living on physicians,

she could not be healed by anyone.

This too is a desperate situation.

This woman had been afflicted with chronic bleeding for so long.

She had sought out all the remedies she could find that were available to her,

but they were no help to her.

And she had despaired of healing until she heard of this Jesus.

And most people infer that from this story,

that this woman's bleeding,

it's a reference to a uterine discharge,

a uterine hemorrhage,

a condition that's not only embarrassing and ostracizing,

but it would have also made her,

in the Jewish world she was in,

socially,

basically,

she was ceremonially unclean.

She was considered unclean,

so unfit for religious inclusion and social inclusion.

Leviticus 15.25 says this,

if a woman has a discharge of blood for many days,

not at the time of her menstrual impurity,

or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity,

all the days of the discharge,

she shall continue in uncleanness.

So this discharge of bodily fluids rendered people unclean,

according to Old Testament rules.

And it's because these blood, in particular, signified life.

So the leakage of blood was a symbol,

as well as of life leaving,

of a picture of death, really.

And so this was considered unclean,

and the Jews would have excluded her,

and would have refused to associate with her,

because touching her,

or being touched by her,

would have also made them unclean.

And normally it just lasts a few days.

But this woman has been unclean for 12 years.

And people have avoided her touch and presence for 12 years.

Perhaps it's due to her shame.

It says in verse 44,

she came up behind Jesus,

and touched the fringe of his garment.

And immediately her discharge of blood ceased.

The woman doesn't want to create a scene.

She discreetly approaches Jesus from behind,

and touches just the fringe of the garment.

Right?

The woman doesn't even get to touch Jesus himself.

She only touches his garment,

and she doesn't even get to touch that much of his garment,

just the fringe of it.

And yet immediately it says,

the discharge of blood ceased,

which had not stopped for 12 years.

This reveals the extent of Jesus' saving power.

But Jesus doesn't let the woman get away without acknowledgement.

He asks in verse 45,

Who was it that touched me?

When all denied it,

Peter said,

Master,

the crowds surround you,

and are pressing in on you.

So Jesus' question is kind of puzzling.

It's even humorous to a degree.

Because the word press,

used earlier in verse 42,

it's the same word that was described,

that was used to describe in the parable of the seeds earlier.

The thorns that choke the seed of the gospel in the plant,

so that it doesn't grow.

So literally,

he's being choked.

He's being crushed by the crowd.

They're literally pressing him all around them.

And yet Jesus stops and asks,

Who was it that touched me?

And if Jesus' question is puzzling,

the crowd's response is downright ridiculous.

They all denied it.

Here they are.

They were literally just pressing in all around Jesus.

And then when he turns around,

he stops and asks,

So who touched me?

They're like,

I didn't do it.

It's like this childish,

self-preserving instinct to avoid getting into trouble.

You just lie right away.

I didn't do it.

It wasn't me.

They deny it,

even though they don't quite know what Jesus is talking about.

And maybe Jesus is,

because Jesus is stopping to ask the question,

they assume that what Jesus is talking about

is something more significant than just the physical touch.

So they say they deny it.

And Peter kind of reads this,

the absurdity of the scene.

And then he says to Jesus,

Master,

the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you.

In other words,

Jesus,

are you seriously asking this question right now?

Look around.

Everyone's touching you.

And you ask,

who touched me?

Please get a grip.

That's what he's really saying.

But Jesus insists on getting an answer.

And he explains in verse 46,

Someone touched me,

for I perceive that power has gone out from me.

So this was not a normal touch.

The significance of this touch is highlighted by the repetition of the word.

Four times in verses 44 to 47,

we are told that this woman touched Jesus.

Who touched me?

She touched Jesus.

Touched the fringe of his garment.

Since many were touching,

it's clear that touching Jesus in and of itself does not confer healing.

Jesus was not this magical being that just walked around and while just radiating this healing power.

So if you just get near him or touch him close,

you get healed.

That's not what's going on here.

This woman,

this touch was different.

Her touch was different.

It was the touch.

It was of faith.

It was her reach of prayer.

And God uses Jesus here.

And Jesus senses that of his power going out to heal her.

It's a beautiful picture.

Because from this woman flows defiling blood.

But from Jesus flows cleansing power.

This woman is literally leaking life.

And here when she gets into touch with Jesus,

Jesus imparts life and healing.

And of course,

when Jesus asks that question,

who touched me,

there's only one person in the crowd that knows the answer.

And so Jesus really,

and it's given his kind of prophetic knowledge that he's revealed throughout the gospel so far,

it's likely he already knows who it is.

But he asks because he wants her to come forward and share her testimony.

He says in verse 47 that when the woman saw that she was not hidden,

she came trembling and falling down before him,

declared in the presence of all the people,

all the people,

why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.

So it appears that the woman's intention was to remain hidden.

But when she realized that she was not hidden,

she came trembling,

fearful.

And we don't know exactly why the woman came trembling in fear.

Perhaps she feared Jesus or the crowds,

judgment and condemnation.

Since she being a ceremonially unclean woman,

likely made not only Jesus,

but everyone in her vicinity that she had to get through to Jesus.

Unclean through contact.

Perhaps she felt guilty that she received healing from Jesus without his express permission.

Maybe she felt like she stole something.

But regardless,

Jesus does not let her stay hidden.

So instead,

falling down before Jesus,

the woman declared in the presence of all the people,

why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.

This is instructive for us.

Some of you are Christians,

but you might be naturally timid.

You flee large groups.

You diligently avoid being the center of attention.

You don't like to speak in front of people,

but if Jesus has saved you,

it is not to remain hidden.

You must tell of how much Jesus has done for you.

Jesus said earlier in this chapter in verse 16,

It's easy sometimes for us,

especially in this part of the country,

to hide behind the facade of courtesy and politeness

and refuse to share our Christian testimony.

But refusing to share the light of Christ is not polite.

It's positive.

It's positively unloving and selfish.

It's natural to rave about what you're passionate about.

It's excited about.

It's natural to tell people about the things that you love the most in your life.

And it's loving thing to do to share the love of Christ that we have received

to benefit our hearers.

And after this woman shares her testimony,

Jesus graciously assures her in verse 48,

Daughter, your faith has made you well.

Go in peace.

This is wonderful kindness of Jesus.

This woman has been a social outcast

and a religious untouchable for 12 years.

And Jesus graciously addresses this fearful woman as daughter.

And I don't think it's coincidence that in this passage,

that this passage is preceded by verses 19 to 21,

where Jesus explicitly teaches this truth.

My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

The spiritual family transcends the bond of the physical family.

And Jesus is telling this woman,

you are in my family.

You are a daughter of God.

You are not alone.

You are as precious to me as Jairus' daughter is to him.

If you're not yet a member of the family of God,

which is the church of God,

then you can become one through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus continues in verse 48,

Your faith has made you well.

Go in peace.

In the original language,

in the Greek,

this is exactly the same sentence as Luke 7.50,

where Jesus said to the sinful woman who washed his feet with her tears,

Your faith has saved you.

Go in peace.

Sorry, that's a different passage.

In Luke 7.50,

Your faith has saved you.

Go in peace.

It's the same word.

The word that's translated,

made you well,

literally means to save.

And I think this means,

it's not just the physical healing,

but it also has a spiritual dimension,

because the physical healing is intended to function as a picture of the spiritual healing and salvation that comes through Jesus.

And that's why I think in the parallel in Mark,

it includes both of those words,

save and heal.

Daughter,

your faith has made you well,

or if your faith has saved you,

go in peace and be healed of your disease.

Jesus mentions both physical healing and spiritual salvation.

And so,

some of you are here this morning with incurable diseases.

And Jesus does have the power to heal.

And if you come to him with faith,

and if it is in accordance with his good will,

and his good and sovereign will,

you will be healed.

But even more importantly,

Jesus has the power to save.

Your physical disease,

no matter how severe,

is light and momentary compared to the spiritual disease of sin.

Sin,

unlike the other diseases that kill only in this life,

brings eternal death in the afterlife.

And this woman's ceremonial uncleanness,

her religious exclusion,

is intended to function as a picture of the sinfulness of humanity.

We are unclean,

unfit to be in God's presence.

And the discharge of blood is a graphic picture of that.

But Jesus heals this woman,

and thereby removes her shame and her uncleanness.

And later in Luke's gospel,

Jesus will head to the cross to die for the sins of his people.

And that's where he interposes his blood,

so that we might be forgiven and not condemned for our sins.

So that we might live and not die.

It's what we sang about earlier in the hymn,

there is a fountain filled with blood,

drawn from Emmanuel's veins,

and sinners,

plunged beneath that flood,

lose all their guilty stains.

Have you been cleansed of your sins?

It doesn't matter how deep your stain is,

the stain of sin is,

it doesn't matter how entrenched your sins are.

This woman had been bleeding for 12 years,

and she had spent all of her money on physicians

who are powerless to heal her,

and here she comes to Jesus,

penniless now,

after having spent it all on the physicians.

She has no means to thank Jesus,

or to compensate him for anything that he does for her.

Yet all she needed to do was touch the fringe of his garment.

Some of you are trying really hard to live a moral life.

But there is no way that you can meet God's perfect standard

and save yourself.

There is no spiritual guru or counselor or life coach

that can save you.

They will take all your money

and leave you no closer.

To find the healing.

Only Jesus can save.

And if you open your heart to him,

and if you stretch out your hand in faith,

you will find that he is not out of reach.

And saving faith

is one that leads to action.

It doesn't mean,

look at this woman,

she didn't say,

oh, well,

I believe that Jesus can heal me,

and then stay in her couch.

She ventures out and takes a risk

to get through the throng of people

to touch Jesus

because she believes

that Jesus can heal her.

So faith must lead to action.

So do you have faith

in Jesus

that leads you to action

to follow him?

It's not enough that you said one day,

oh, yes,

I believe in Jesus in my head.

And then now you live

the rest of your life for him.

That's not saving faith.

Do you believe him enough

to leave all else behind

to pursue him

and to love him

with all your heart,

soul, mind, and strength?

That's true saving faith.

It's an entrustment of your life.

And if you have put your faith

in Jesus Christ for salvation,

that this assuring words

that he speaks to this woman,

you can store up in your own heart.

Daughter, your faith has saved you.

Go in peace.

And the peace

is not just

an inner subjective feeling.

It's a description

of a new objective reality

that now characterizes

our relationship with God.

As Romans 5, 1 says,

therefore,

since we have been justified

by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We who were once sinners

in rebellion against God

are now reconciled to God

through Jesus Christ

and have peace.

That's the peace

that Jesus can impart

to you today.

Jesus' interaction

with this woman

is heartwarming

and encouraging.

And we almost forget

that this was an interruption

as Jesus was on his way

to heal Jairus'

dying daughter.

But we're reminded

of this fact

in verse 49.

Read with me.

While he was still speaking,

someone from the ruler's house

came and said,

your daughter is dead.

Do not trouble the teacher anymore.

Just imagine for a moment

how discouraging

and deflating

this news must have been

for Jairus.

He had finally secured

the help of the one person

who could heal

his dying daughter

and they were on their way.

They're on their way.

But then this woman

comes out of nowhere

and touches Jesus

and Jesus seemingly

in no hurry

to get to his

only daughter

who is moments away

from death

stops and asks

a stupid question

and then listens

to the woman,

her tale of woe

and her miraculous healing.

You could just imagine

Jairus kind of

tapping his toes

impatiently

as this is happening.

If he had a watch back

then he'd be looking

at his watch.

While Jesus

is still speaking

to this woman,

a messenger from his house

approaches him

and says to Jairus,

your daughter is dead.

Do not trouble

the teacher anymore.

By intertwining

the story of Jairus' daughter

and the woman

with the discharge of blood

in this way,

Luke is intentionally

inviting comparison

of the two scenarios,

the two cases.

Notice that Jairus'

dying daughter

was about 12 years of age

and that this woman

who had a discharge of blood,

she had it for 12 years.

The first case

is more urgent

and time sensitive.

Jairus' daughter

is dying right at this moment

but the woman

has had the discharge of blood

for 12 years.

A few more days

is not going to break her.

Moreover,

the girl is just entering

the prime of her life.

Remember 12

is the first,

is really coming of age

to womanhood.

On the other hand,

this woman

has had the discharge of blood

for 12 years,

already having spent

all of her youth,

all of her prime.

And in verse 48,

this is,

this is the kicker.

Jesus calls this woman

daughter.

And in verse 49,

Jairus is told,

your daughter

is dead.

Oh, the disappointment

and resentment

that Jairus

must have felt.

Jesus,

this woman

has been bleeding

for 12 years.

What's the delay

of a few hours

or even a few days?

My daughter's only 12

and she's about to die.

Jesus,

this woman

had already been healed.

Why not just let her go quietly

so you could hurry

to my house

to my precious child?

Jesus,

you call her daughter?

What about my daughter?

She's my only daughter.

Have you ever felt like

God missed his timing

with you?

Have you ever felt like

he got sidetracked

caring for someone else

so that you were neglected

by him?

Your friend has found

a husband or a wife,

but you're now

in your 30s

and you're still alone?

Your college roommate

got that internship

or that lucrative job

and you are still scraping

the bottom of the barrel

for something to turn up?

Your colleague's career

seems to have taken off

while your career

seems to have run

into a dead end.

Another church member

seems to be receiving

so many blessings

and growing

and maturing rapidly,

but you feel stagnant.

The bridesmaids

from your wedding

now have children,

but you are infertile

and childless.

Your neighbor's child

seems normal

and healthy

developmentally,

but yours seem

sickly

and developmentally delayed.

What about my child, God?

What about my life, God?

What about my career?

What about my family?

What about my future, Jesus?

If that's you,

then God has included

the story of Jairus here

to encourage you.

It says in verse 50,

but Jesus,

on hearing this,

answered him,

do not fear,

only believe

and she will be well.

God hears your grief.

God knows your fears

and he says to you,

do not fear,

only believe

and she will be well.

the level of fear

in our lives

is inversely proportionate

to the level of faith

and so Jesus says,

do not fear,

only believe.

What do you fear

this morning?

Maybe you fear

incompetence

or feeling like a failure.

Maybe you fear

rejection from others.

Maybe you fear

what they might be able

to do to you

or how they might

make you feel.

Maybe you always carry

this ominous feeling

with you

that something bad,

something terrible

is going to happen

to you or your family.

An accident,

a tragedy,

an illness.

Maybe you fear

death itself

but Jesus tells us,

do not fear,

only believe.

A Bible commentator,

James R. Edwards

puts it this way,

the challenge of faith

before Jairus

and for everyone

who meets Jesus

is whether to believe

only in what circumstances

allow

or in what God

declares possible.

Do you believe

in Jesus' power

to heal,

to save,

to redeem

whatever situation

you're in?

So,

because of this,

Jairus

holds back his complaint,

he holds down

his tears,

he accompanies Jesus

back to his house

and when Jesus

came to the house,

it says in verse 51,

he allowed no one

to enter with him

except Peter

and John

and James

and the father

and mother

of the child.

So,

Peter and John

and James

were in the inner circle

even among

the twelve apostles.

They were Jesus'

earliest

and most trusted

disciples

and three times

in the Gospel of Luke,

they're singled out

as a group

apart from the rest

of the twelve.

First in Luke 5

when they are first

called to be his disciples

and then Luke 8, 51

when,

right now in our passage

when they alone

are witnesses

to Jairus' daughter's

resurrection

and then Luke 9

when they alone

are taken

to the mountain

to see Jesus'

transfiguration

when he

is transformed

into a glorious

and radiates glory,

heavenly glory

and he's joined

by Moses and Elijah

on either of his side.

And so,

we don't know

exactly why

Jesus sought

this more intimate

setting

but there might

be a clue

in verse 56

because it says

that,

and her parents

were amazed

but he charged

them to tell

no one

what had happened.

Jesus doesn't

want Jairus

and his wife

to publicize

what happened

after the resurrection

which is the exact

opposite of what

Jesus told

the garrison demoniac

earlier in Luke 8 39

he told him

return to your home

and declare

how much God

has done for you.

And this is because

Jesus shows

throughout his ministry

much more openness

when he is ministering

among the Gentiles

but diligently avoids

he diligently avoids

popularity and acclaim

among the Jews.

And the reason

seems to be

that Jews already

have a messianic

expectation.

So when they see

that Jesus might

be the Messiah

their religious fervor

overflows

into this

political frenzy

and that impedes

Jesus' ability

to travel

throughout the towns

to proclaim

the good news

of Jesus Christ.

His good news

the good news

of the kingdom

of God

and it jeopardizes

his mission

and we saw

this concern

earlier in Luke 4

41 to 44

and in Luke 5

12 to 16

and the second thing

is that Jesus

also knows

that greater popularity

among the Jews

means greater jealousy

of the Jewish

religious leaders

and in fact

in John 11

and 12

after Jesus

raises Lazarus

from the dead

and this happens

in public

unlike this

incident

when that happens

because of that

the Jewish leaders

worry

if we let him

go on like this

everyone will believe him

and then they

plot to kill

not only Jesus

but also Lazarus

because on account

of him

many of the Jews

were going away

and believing Jesus

John 12

9 to 11

so Jesus knows

that it's not yet

his time

to go to the cross

to die

so he enters the house

with only Jairus

and his wife

and Peter

James

and John

and then it says

in verses 52

to 53

and all were weeping

and mourning for her

but he said

do not weep

for she is not dead

but sleeping

and they laughed

at him

knowing that she was

dead

so Jesus arrives

and he commands

the mourners

to stop weeping

in first century

Palestine

the Jews

hired

almost

they hired

professional mourners

when there was

a death in the family

so these are

trained

they're trained

to mourn

in this

heart wrenching way

and they would

follow the procession

and announce

basically to the town

that there has been

a death in the family

and so these

mourners

were not called

until there was

uncertainty

about this person's death

so the fact

that they're there

already shows

that the death

is certain

and not only that

being professionals

they know a dead body

when they see one

and Jesus tells them

do not weep

for she is not dead

but sleeping

so it's no wonder

that they laugh at him

knowing that she was dead

everyone there knew

that Jairus' daughter

was dead

and everyone knew

that death

is the end

we all know that

it's final

there's no turning back

you could try really hard

to save them

when they're dying

but when they're dead

it's game over

so sadly and ironically

these people who were

hired to mourn

start laughing

at Jesus

this is about as bad

as it gets

it's a hopeless situation

it's a death

yet even in this

Jesus commands

do not fear

only believe

and she will

be well

and then it says

in verses 54 to 55

taking her by the hand

Jesus called

saying child arise

and her spirit returned

and she got up at once

and he directed

that something

should be given her

to eat

Jesus takes

the dead girl's hand

into his hand

which is another instance

where Jesus

would have been rendered

ceremonially unclean

because contact

with the dead

is considered unclean

but Jesus

does not hesitate

he imparts life

he embraces

the unclean

the untouchables

and again

instead of Jesus

being rendered unclean

this girl is revived

and with new life

and wonderfully

just as

he previously said

that the girl

is not dead

but asleep

like a parent

waking up

his or her child

in the morning

for school

he just calls her

child

arise

and the departed

spirit responds

immediately

and then Jesus

goes to

direct

that something

be given to her

to eat

Jesus is here

like a physician

that even cares

for the girl's diet

the seemingly

unnecessary

detail

shows Jesus'

tender care

for Jairus' daughter

and signifies

the return to normalcy

of Jairus' daughter

and her family's life

and the expression

is curious

right

it's one that

has been passed on

through generations

that we use

to this day

we use

the expression

falling asleep

as a euphemism

for death

this was common

among the ancient Greeks

but Christians

came to express

their hope

for the resurrection

with that phrase

because of this

incident

by calling death

sleep

Jesus highlights

the temporariness

of death

and he removes

the terror of death

for those who

trust in him

Paul writes

in 1 Corinthians 15

20-21

in fact

Christ

has been raised

from the dead

the first fruits

of those who have

fallen asleep

for as by a man

came death

by a man

has come also

the resurrection

of the dead

so it is through

this miracle

that Jesus

demonstrates his

mastery

not merely

over disasters

and demons

but also diseases

and over death

itself

and I don't know

if you have ever

been confronted

with the finality

of death

I think most of you

are young

and I think

as young people

we don't normally

think about death

so much

we feel like

we're invincible

and most people

are too busy

to come to terms

with it

until one of their

loved ones die

their friends

start to die

or when they are

diagnosed with

a terminal illness

but death

comes to us all

and this is

the consequence

of sin

because we have

rebelled against God

and we have sought

to live for ourselves

rather than living

for him

who created us

and because we have

violated the laws

of God

and we have marred

his design

for humanity

and all creation

we have been

separated from God

and the natural

consequence

of being separated

from the giver

of life

is death

but as the famous

verse that you

most of you know

John 3 16 says

for God so loved

the world

that he gave

his only son

that whoever

believes in him

should not perish

but have

eternal

life

Jesus was already

ministering here

with the view

to the cross

knowing that he

that's where he

is ultimately

headed

and there he

is crucified

and he pays

the penalty

for our sins

but death

could not hold him

down because

Jesus was the

sinless son of God

and son of man

and having accepted

Jesus' sacrifice

for our sins

God the Father

raises Jesus

from the dead

and therefore

makes him

the deposit

the guarantee

of the resurrection

life that awaits

all those who

repent of their sins

and entrust themselves

to Jesus for salvation

but those who die

apart from Christ

will not experience

eternal resurrection

life

instead they will

experience eternal

death

eternal separation

from God

that the Bible

describes as the

lake of fire

but for those

who die in Christ

death is nothing

to fear

it's like sleep

our soul will live

eternally with God

and ultimately

when Christ returns

our bodies too

will be raised

for resurrection

life

and our death

and death

our final enemy

the last

remaining

vestige of sin

will be undone

once

and for all

and because

we have

a resurrected

Lord

when we believe

in the resurrected

Lord

when we believe

in Jesus Christ

who raises

the dead

and redeems

those who are

dead

and brings them

to life

even in the

most desperate

situations

even in the

face of death

itself

we can have

enduring faith

when we believe

the Bible

is actually

what I wandered

and my life

should be

precisely

as I

could we love

you