Defeating Death

What a year 2016 was. I think, as far as the American public is concerned, it was one of the most difficult periods we've seen in quite a while. When people weren't busy becoming divided over such a controversial election season, we were waylaid by the many deaths of prominent and highly influential celebrities. It is this area in which I'd like to focus my attention on, death.

Princess Leia and Kathy - Artist, Rick L.

At the time of this writing, Carrie Fisher's death was perhaps the most shocking, which was then followed by the death of her mother (only a day later!). Celebrities like Bowie, Prince, and Fisher are given the status of icons or even idols. People view them in a somewhat supernatural way simply because of what their music and acting has done for each human who is influenced by them. When one of these idols dies a couple things happen. One is that we remember that they were human and not some god who could stave off death with their talents. Another, and perhaps more sobering point, is that we remember we are human, and that death is an inescapable, existential part of our own reality. Death comes for us all.

Death is such a reality that cultures across time have personified death in their literature as a physical entity whom people fear, try to cheat, or sometimes even welcome as a friend. Often, death can never be defeated, just accepted.

Can death ever be defeated? The message of the Christian faith says, yes. How is this so? Death exists in the first place as the consequences of sin being brought into the world. Although it might be hard to hear, death can directly occur as a consequence of our sins, but also because of the sins of others. The word sin in itself doesn't get enough explanation in my opinion, to avoid turning this entry into a theology paper I will have to keep the definition short. Sometimes it is a willful behavior and sometimes it is a thing that is hard to let go of like an addiction (addiction is highly complex here), or racism. Anyway, Death says, "you have sinned, you're coming with me." However, since our God is the author of life, death is an enemy to Him and His creations. Therefore, since death robs His creations of life, it has been consigned to defeat (1 Corinthians 15:26).

The defeat of death is not some kind of escapism as some critics argue. Defeat of something has requirements and escaping death is not the same thing defeating death. The defeat of death is someone entering into it and breaking its hold on them where they are then resurrected to life. Secondly, a defeat of death would mean that the one who defeated it did so on behalf of all those who follow him. Another sign of death's defeat would be to appear in a form that is gloriously untouched by death and can never be touched by it again. This is the victory we have in Christ. He went the way first so that we could. He defeated death so that we would not be held in bondage anymore.

You might be thinking, "that's cute Tim, but people die everyday still." Yes, that is true. It is the tension we live with between the inaugurated kingdom of God and the promised consummation of God's kingdom, where those who died believing in Christ's saving and sanctifying power will be resurrected in glory. Understandably, this may sound fantastical to some, but we have hope in the promises of God because he has fulfilled them as evidenced in the Word of God and in history. Therefore, it is the hope of this promise that we (Christians) bring to the world by the power of the Holy Spirit. We may taste death now, but it does not have to be the end and soon it will have no hold on those call on Christ's name.

Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).