Faith Through the Journey

This morning, Resurrection Sunday, was another triumphant celebration of the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over death. When Jesus was raised from the dead, Satan’s final doom was sealed. The only way he could win was for Jesus to stay dead, and of course that didn’t happen! I was amazed (but not really) that the very passage of Scripture I was thinking about this morning was the chapter our pastor read from as he began his sermon this morning. I Corinthians 15:54 & 55 says that “death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?”

I thought this morning of the faces of those who were here on earth last Easter, and whose faith is now sight as they are complete in the presence of Jesus. His victory over death made it possible for them to be in His presence now. They understood that this earth was not their final destination; they knew that their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins would give them an eternal prize, a home in heaven. First Corinthians 15:19 says: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”  Hebrews also speaks about those who desire a “better, that is a heavenly country”. This hope of a better, permanent home is realized as we complete our earthly journey. Some do so after many years, some after seemingly few. Yet each one who enters heaven does so the same way, through the shed blood of Jesus, who paid the price for our forgiveness with His perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Yes, with the coming of another Easter Sunday, our heavenly hope is confirmed again because Jesus did indeed come back to life. Because of His final victory, there are millions in heaven today bearing witness to the fact that “Death is swallowed up in victory!”