JESUS IS THE DESTROYER OF DEATH 

Dr. W. A. Criswell 

1 Corinthians 15:26 

4-12-95     12:00 p.m. 

 

 

In our speaking of the life of our Lord, who is Jesus, today it is, He Is Victor over Death.  Tomorrow:  He's Our Great Friend and Intercessor in Heaven.  And, then, climactically, on Friday:  He's Our Coming King.  

Our background text is in I Corinthians chapter 15, verse 25 and 26, “For He must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet.  And, the last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”  The Old Testament calls death the king of terrors.  And, as all of us are acutely aware, he is the last victor over each one of our lives.  Every trail of human experience ends in the grave.  

And, even God in Christ called death an enemy.  It was not intended.  When our Lord created our first parents in the Garden of Eden it was His purpose that they live forever in the love and mercy of God.  But, in the fall of our first parents, death came in as an intruder and as an interloper.  It was not intended.  And, when it avows that death is the last enemy that God will destroy, that means it is not now.  It is not yet.  It is not today.  But, in God's ultimate and infinite purpose the time is coming when death will be forever and completely destroyed. 

The facet of death is interwoven in every life.  I so vividly remember, when I was a senior in the university the great President, Samuel Palmer Brooks, died.  And, in the new building, Waco Hall, they had his memorial service.  The university appointed an honor guard to stand by the casket.  And, I said to those authorities, “If you don't mind, let me stand there.”  So, for several hours I stood at the head of the casket while the throngs and the throngs past by.  And that is a parable of my life.  For sixty-eight following years I have stood and watched that column pass by, form, reform, but always passing by.  

One of the most amazing pictures of human life is found in the sixth chapter of the Apocalypse, the Book of the Revelation.  The seals are opened that begins the Apocalypse.  And, when the first seal is opened, a white horse appears.  And, on it, a young man in vigor, in youth, in triumph, conquering and to conquer, glorious, wonderful.  Then, the next seal is opened.  And, there appears a red horse with a sharpened sword dipped in blood.  Then, the next seal is opened.  And, there is a black horse with a pair of balances, scales.  And, he's parting out the precious little amount of food that keeps a hungry world from starving.  And the last seal, the next one; there is a pale horse, and the rider is named Death.  And, Hades and hell follows in his way.  And, he covers the earth with death.  That is God's picture of this planet upon which our lives are cast.  And, however we may choose to war against that final enemy, we find ourselves ignominiously and disastrously defeated.  

If I say, “I will lock the gate, and, he cannot enter in.”  He comes in stealthily and sometimes unexpectedly.  If I will say, “I will stand up and confront him.”  I am cut down.  And, if I say, “I will take my strength and war against him.”  My very flesh falls from the bone.  And, if I say, “I will search him out in the gloom of the night and destroy him.”  I cannot see, for the sockets of my face have no eyes.  And, if I avow, “I will protect my loved ones from so vile and vicious and violent an enemy!”  I see them rot before me.  

I think one of the most poignant things I've ever read in my life is the experience of Abraham dealing with the sons of Heth for the little mound of Machpelah and the big cave beneath.  And, in desperation, Abraham says, “Do it now.  Let me buy it now, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”  Of whom is he talking?  Of his beloved Sarah.  

If I say, “I will flee to the mountains.”  If I say, “I will hide in the hills.”  If I say, “I will mingle in the city.”  If I say, “I will go beyond in the ocean.”  No matter where, what, when, or how, I inevitably meet that enemy of death.  God called him an enemy.  

As you know, for almost fifty years, I have traveled literally over every continent of this world.  And, one of the things that I see and have been sensitive to everywhere, the great tremendous monuments of mankind or to the despairing presence of death.  Stand in Egypt before the seven wonders of the world.  They are erected in which to bury the dead.  Over there, on the other side of the Mediterranean—destroyed now—in Halicarnassus, Mausolus built a glorious, world famous monument called “the mausoleum,” a name used all over the earth for a monument to the dead.  Walking in the environments of Rome, there is Hadrian's great tomb on the Appian Way and the uncounted graves of those who are buried along that great tremendous highway.  Go over to India in Agra.  And, there is absolutely one of the most amazing architectural creations in this earth, The Taj Mahal.  And, they call it a Teardrop of Shah Jahal.  Come into the environments of Japan.  And, there, in Nara are the great tombs of the emperors of that vast country.  Come to Paris.  And, there, beautiful--the Invalides in which is buried Napoleon Bonaparte.  And, across the isthmus into London.  And, the world-famed cathedral, Westminster Abbey, is dedicated to the dead of the British empire.  And, here, even in America, outside the city of Washington is the tomb of George and Martha Washington.  And, inside the city, that great Washington monument, built in memory of the dead. 

All except one.  In these years gone by, another minister and I were sent around the world by the Foreign Mission Board of our Southern Baptist Convention.  And, in Jerusalem, an Arab leader said to me, “Would you like for me to come by and call for you at dawn in the morning, and I'll take you to the tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ?”  Empty!  There's nobody in it.  

I, in those days, reading my Greek New Testament, the two of us, where an angel stood there and an angel stood here, I opened my Greek New Testament and read the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, the story of the resurrection of our glorious Lord.  And, that resurrection and the ministry of our precious Savior is the assurance of our ultimate defeat of death.  You find it in His presence on the top of the mountain.  There spoke with Him Moses and Elijah about the decease of our Lord in Jerusalem.  Why those two?  Moses represented those that are buried.  And, Elijah represented those that are raptured when our Lord comes again, a great marvelous triumph.  

Not only assured in His presence, but also in His words.  Said to the daughter of Jairus, Talitha cumi, “Damsel, arise.” [Mark 5:35-43]  Said to the son of the widow of Nain, “Young man, stand up.” [Luke 7:11-17]  And, he said to Lazarus, who'd been dead four days, “Lazarus, come forth.” [John 11:1-45]  The assurance of our victory over death.  His presence, His words and His incomparable triumphant resurrection.  Great God!  How do you frame in words the meaning of that victory over the grave?  

 

Up from the grave He arose; 

With a mighty triumph o'er his foes; 

He arose the victor over that dark domain, 

And He lives forever with His saints to reign.

He arose!  Hallelujah, Christ arose! 

[“Up From the Grave He Arose,” by Robert Lowry] 

 

And, the ultimate victory is described for us in the last book of the Bible.  

Revelation 1, verse 18, “I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last.  I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore.  And I, I have the keys of death and of hell.”  The things that happen to us in this life are in the purview and will of the Son of God, “I have the keys of death.”  And, of course, the ultimate and final victory, “And there was no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, for these things are all passed away.”  And, that's the way the Bible closes: The triumph of our Lord over death.  

Let me take just a moment, for the time is already passed.  I copied from a letter of Benjamin Franklin.  The first paragraph,  

 

Dear precious family,  

It is the will of God that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter the real life.—Then, I copied from the last paragraph of that wonderful letter—Our friend and I were invited aboard on a party of pleasure, which is to last forever.  His chair was ready first.  And, he is gone before.  We could not all conveniently start together.  Why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and we know where to find him.  Till then, Adieu, Benjamin Franklin.  February 23, 1756.  

 

His friend had died, but that was only because he was first in the chair to be welcomed aboard of that life of glory.  And, he was soon to follow after.  Death is an enemy.    But conquered by our Lord. 

 

My heavenly home is bright and fair. 

And I feel like traveling on. 

No harm or death can enter there 

And I feel like traveling on. 

 

Oh, the Lord has been so good to me 

I feel like traveling on. 

Until those mansions I can see. 

I feel like traveling on. 

[“I Feel Like Traveling On,” by William Hunter] 

 

My home is not here.  It is there.  Our beautiful city is not here.  It is there.  And, my reward is not here.  It is there.  God be praised for the victory He has won for us in the defeat of death!  

Now, may we stand together?  And, good pastor, you come and lead our benediction.  

Father, we love You today.  We thank You that, because You live, those of us who placed our faith and trust in You will live again, also.  You're our blessed hope: Your glorious appearing.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.