Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I have some bad news and some good news to write about this month. The bad news is that we are all going to die. The Good news is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ “death has been swallowed up in victory.”

We face death every day. We have watched loved ones die. We have read about deaths in the newspapers and heard about them on the news programs. We have watched television reports about murders and mass killings. We have heard about many people who have died due to natural disasters and accidents. Why do people have to die? Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 that “The wages of sin is death.” In Ephesians 2:1 he also tells us that “you were dead in the trespasses and sin.” The cause of death is clearly sin. It is a condition that everyone is born with. From the moment that we are born we begin to die. Most of the time it is due to a natural cause but there are certainly plenty of times when it s caused by the sins of others.

For us Christians death is not the end. It is only part of the story. Paul continues in Romans 6:23, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Crist Jesus our Lord.” What great, joyful, jubilant news! Jesus Christ has destroyed death and restored life! In our baptisms God raised us from the dead and on the Last Day when Christ returns, He shall raise each of us with glorious bodies that will never die.

Right now, we are in the middle of the Lenten Season and we are pondering our sinfulness and emotionally as well as spiritually moving toward Good Friday. We are thinking about Christ’s suffering and death for the sins of the world. We know that Good Friday lies ahead of us and we also know that the events that occurred on that day are not the final events in the life of Jesus Christ. Friday came and it was an extremely sad day. It was a horrible day. Jesus suffered severely from whippings, beatings and mockery before He was nailed to the cross. On that day all who were opposed to Jesus thought that they had won. But they didn’t. Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, would soon arrive. Jesus Christ would rise from the dead giving us the certainty that death has lost its sting and death will not win over us.

Paul so eloquently tells us,

• If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
• “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
• 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)

Christ has died for us. Christ is risen for us. Christ will come again for us.

Join us throughout this time of Lenten Passion and then join us on Easter Sunday as we celebrate Christ’s victorious resurrection for us!

~ Pastor Webb