I am the resurrection and the life

Spoiler alert: everyone dies.

God’s word warns us: “It is appointed unto all men once to die, and then the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Death comes for us all. Neither wisdom nor wealth can prevent it. (Psalm 49:10). We all face the same end unless Jesus returns first (James 4:14).

Jesus died so our sins could be forgiven. Why, then, do we still die?

Physical death frees us to live forever in glorified bodies with God in his heaven (1 Corinthians 15:50).

Then one day, death will be destroyed forever. His word promises: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

So what happens when you physically die?

You are with Christ if Jesus is your Lord. You’re home. If Jesus is your Lord, when you die, you won’t. Instead, you’ll see God and be safely home in an instant.

Before Jesus, the resurrection was little more than a theological hope. The Sadducees denied it even existed, while the Pharisees incorporated it into their understanding of the afterlife. Jesus, however, made it relevant here and now. He made it something more than a hope—he made it a reality.

What difference does the reality of your resurrection make in your life today?

One: The security of eternity in Christ gives us courage in the present.

The worst that can happen to us leads to the best that can happen to us. We can say every day with Paul, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Where do you need the courage to serve Jesus today?

Two: The security of eternity in Christ gives us hope for those who have died.

Most of us have loved someone who died. The fact of our resurrection means that we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV). Our faith in the midst of our loss is a powerful witness to an unbelieving world, and it sustains us in the darkest nights of grief.

Three: The security of eternity in Christ gives us the motivation to share our faith.

Jesus is the only resurrection and life. He is the only way to life beyond death. Giving the gospel to others is not imposing our values on them; it is sharing the greatest gift there is.

Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, when we die, we don’t. When we breathe our last breath here, we breathe our first breath in paradise. When we close our eyes on Earth, we open them in God’s presence.

Are you ready to open your eyes to God’s presence?

How is he using you while you’re on Earth right now?

Will you follow him bravely, knowing he is your resurrection?

Do you find life in him and him alone?

If not, repent and pray for him to move in your heart.