"O death, where is your sting?"

“O death, where is your sting?”

Hey everyone!

This morning I am thinking about Peter, the night of Jesus’ arrest. Remember Jesus tells Peter that he will betray Jesus 3 times. And Peter says, “I will die before I betray you!” 

Then, when push comes to shove, he denied Jesus. Why? Because Peter feared death more than he trusted Jesus. I wonder how many of us have this problem too? When things are good we proudly declare that we do not fear death – we shout “Amen!” and sing “death has been defeated”. But when push comes to shove… 

Today we are going to be looking at two passages. The first is Hebrews 2:9, 14-15

“⁹But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” (italicize added). Here the connotation is that Jesus tasted death so everyone (this includes you) might have the opportunity not to have to taste death! More on this later. The writer continues in vs. 14,

¹⁴Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” So much here, but here’s the thing I want us to focus on – the fear of death is a slavery. I think we Christians often like the idea of not fearing death, but we still do. And when we get real about it, we actually think that not fearing death is naïve. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we shouldn’t value our lives! Or fight to save them. What I am saying is that Christians need to truly be intellectually and emotionally convinced that death is not the end! Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person! Paul explains why to us in 1 Corinthians 15:54-58

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable (he is referring to people who ‘put on’ Christ), and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

Man, that is so good. How is it true? Paul continues:

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 

In other words, if death were a ferocious beast sin would be its teeth. How is sin the teeth of death? Physical death is a side effect of the fall. And it led to eternal separation from God because of sin. 

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is this great scene in the Claymation classic “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” where Hermie the elf pulls the teeth out of the abominable snow monster’s mouth. Yukon Cornelius cries out, “That’s a mighty humble bumble! You can walk right past him.” Why? This monster has no teeth – he can’t hurt anyone anymore. 

Paul is essentially saying the same thing about death. Jesus took away sin for those who accept Him and so now death for us is merely a transition to the next, better life. It is robbed of its sting! 

Too many of us still live in the slavery of fear of death! Too many of us don’t taste the victory of the resurrection and the eternal optimism that faith should bring because we actually haven’t really bought into this. When push comes to shove our lives on earth, we believe, is our most valuable gift and we must protect it at all costs. In the words of Dr. Shane Wood, we fear death more than we fear God. 

May you truly be set free from the fear of death my friends!!! It is not naïve to be fearless of death, it is the direct and natural result of actually believing everything Jesus said. 

When you are free from fear of death than you and I can follow Paul’s last words in 2 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”