Resurrection of Jesus gives us victory in the face of death

I sent a text message to Dave Nufer on Thursday. (Yes, even pastors send texts.) I asked how he was doing. His replied, “Busy and melancholy.” I understood the busy. I stopped to think about the melancholy.

We were both shocked on Sunday afternoon when our friend and member Rhoda Olson Zanella’s brother-in-law, David Kincaid, was tragically killed in an accident on the Parks Highway.

We had just seen David’s family at Holy Week festivities at church. What a wonderful husband and father, what a wonderful grandfather and Christian David was. But, death seems so final. What a horrible loss!

Unfortunately, this was just the first of a number of losses experienced this week.

I was taking two of my grandkids fishing on Monday and had just parked the truck when I got a call from the hospital. Teri Osterkamp’s mom had been brought to the hospital in an ambulance. Her condition was worse than realized, and she was called home. This was totally unexpected.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon Dave Sutton came to church to share with his daughter, Jenna, that her grandpa, Marcy’s dad, had lost his battle with brain cancer.

On top of all this, Tuesday Kathy and I heard that our former Florida neighbor and long time good friend, Pat Jiacopello, had passed away. We hadn’t even known she was sick.

What a three-day period of loss! I think melancholy describes my heart, too. Or, maybe I’m just numb.

However, in the middle of all this loss and melancholy, member Bill Allen shared a word of hope. When talking of Christian faith he shared, “I don’t know how people get through these things without it.”

There is something stronger than death, which all of us face. There is something stronger than our feelings, even feelings of melancholy or depression. The word of God and his promises are even stronger than death.

This is the season of Easter when we remember that Jesus rose from the dead. The death we face is because of the sin and rebellion in the world, and the sin in all of our lives. But, after Jesus died to pay for sin, he rose to overcome death, so that all who believe in him have eternal life.

In his day Paul wrote to people who were also overwhelmed by death in the Corinthian church. But, because of Jesus’ resurrection Paul spoke of victory and hope through Jesus. God moved Paul to write in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Death may seem like the end, like the final defeat. But the resurrection of Jesus gives us victory in the face of death through faith. When you face the defeats that life deals us, may you know hope. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we ultimately have victory and eternal life in heaven.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer. Contact him at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

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