Jesus Overcame

January 31

Death lurks in the shadows of our minds. We know that it doesn’t matter how well life seems to be going, it doesn’t matter how much in control we seem to be, or how many things appear to be going our way, Death can pull its prank at any time and everything that appeared to be so good will suddenly be forever over.

The dread of the inevitable eventuality that will, on the appointed day, overtake each of us, looms somewhere on the horizon, rather like a highway robber whose intent is to take from us the most precious thing we have—life. There is no way to alter our route to escape it; we cannot hide from its claim to us.

Or can we? In John 11:25-26, Jesus makes a remarkable assertion. Here He says to Martha who is weeping at the loss of her beloved brother, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” Jesus is here proclaiming His victory over death; stating the fact that there is life beyond death.

He is reassuring Martha—and us—that the individual who has received Christ as Savior and Lord passes from life to LIFE! We may therefore proclaim as did Paul in I Corinthians 15:55, “O, Death, where is thy sting! O, Grave, where is thy victory!” Jesus affords us the right to be more than conquerors because He overcame death for us!