Death’s Sting & Grave’s Victory

The Pieta pictured above is a Renaissance sculpture created by Michelangelo in 1498-1499. Standing a few feet away and gazing at this beautiful work of art one can almost sense the pain of the moment as Christ is removed from the cross and placed in the arms of his mother. All of us can identify with this moment, perhaps more dramatically after the last few years of our nation experiencing over 850,000 deaths due to the Covid pandemic. All of us have been touched directly or indirectly by the death of loved ones. Consequently, all of us know that death causes pain and the grave is not a fair fight, offering no chance of victory once confronted.

Death and the grave are natural experiences, aspects of which we will experience many times in many ways during our lifetimes and that we will each personally face one day.  This past year alone besides my aunt I have had two college classmates and my cousins’ husband all pass.  There is not a clearer example that I can think of that illustrates the intersection of the natural with the supernatural.  Death and the grave are a natural part of life whether we like it or not, whether we recognize it or not.  What happens after, I would argue, is supernatural.  I know by experience that if we apply our faith when facing the death of a loved one, it is possible to be lifted to a place of peace in our heart and our soul. That is not natural, I contend it is supernatural.  The evidence of things unseen.  God working in our hearts and soul whether we recognize it or not. 

Scripture gives us a clear picture of how God looks at death and the grave. John 11 describes the account in which Christ hears of His friend Lazarus being seriously ill but delays going to him until after Lazarus has died. At the point when Jesus finally does show up, we can only assume it is to demonstrate His sovereignty over death and the grave. Also, perhaps His purpose is to prove His Deity to all of Lazarus’s friends and relatives but most of all to His friend who has been dead for several days.  Or maybe there is some other purpose for His presence at this time?  Why would Jesus go through all this if He were quite aware of the fact that in a few days he was planning a similar but much more dramatic feat by rising from the dead Himself? Do you think He was searching for some extra media coverage?  Or perhaps He wanted a practice run concerning control over life and death?  Sounds a little silly, doesn’t it?  The only thing that sounds reasonable to me is that He was astutely aware of the pain that death and the grave causes to the friends and family of the deceased.  Because of that awareness I believe He wanted to show His empathy and His power over the situation. I believe Christ’s empathy is revealed by His tears (John 11:35).  I believe that His power is revealed in His words “Lazarus, come forth!”; “Loose him and let him go.” (John 11: 43,44) His first command is to the focus of His attention, His friend. His second command is an instruction to those nearby who are watching.  The first is directed to the dead man to rise, the second to the living to help the one who has escaped the grave. The evidence of the unseen at the scene of the miracle is the joy in the hearts and minds of all those who witnessed the event then, and all those who read about it now, and feel through faith the victory over death and the grave.  “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where your victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55)

It is our faith that removes the sting of death. It is our faith that gives us victory over the grave. It is our faith and only our faith that provides those options. It is my belief that faith exists at the intersection of the natural and the supernatural. It is when the divine meets the natural that God meets man. What more powerful demonstration can be made than when our faith causes us to rise up over the sting in our hearts that we feel in the loss our loved ones. And then we stand in faith believing we will see them again! That is the true victory over the grave! But even so, it would be cavalier of me not to recognize that experiencing death and the grave in certain circumstances can be overwhelming. I have never faced the loss of a child. My wife has. I cannot fathom the depth of the hurt for such a circumstance. The very nature of the event is so out of order of the normal experience of life it is unfathomable. A parent is never supposed to bury a child. Understanding the empathy of Christ is helpful for such a circumstance, but it will never make up for the loss. There is no answer in our faith for why some most walk through such pain. Our faith only tells us we will see our loved ones again.