Introduction

A skeptic making fun of a Christian for his faith in Jesus Christ, suggested that he might start a religion of his own to replace Christianity. 

To which the Christian responded ...

"Very good! All you need to do is to be crucified, die, rise again the third day and get the world to believe that you are still alive. Then your new religion just might have a chance."

There is no religion in the world that can match the claims of Christianity. What separates it from other religions is its declaration that Christ literally rose from the grave. 

Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, Joseph Smith, Felix Manalo founded religious movements, but these men are all dead and gone.

But Christ who is Author (Founder) and Finisher of our faith, died, and was buried but rose form the dead. Jesus Christ is alive! He lives forevermore. True Biblical Christianity is not about a dead person but about a living Saviour!

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2: By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

True Biblical Christianity is a religion of the open tomb and the empty tomb.

Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. - John R. W. Stott

Christianity stands or falls based on the resurrection. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity.

If Christ's Resurrection did not happen then ...

Christianity is based on fiction and a false religion

Jesus is a deceiver

The disciples are liars

The gospel is false

We are not forgiven

Who knows if there is a heaven

But if Christ's Resurrection did happen and it did then ...

Christianity is true

Jesus is God

The disciples are truthful 

The gospel is true

We are forgiven

We are going to heaven

I - Death is our greatest enemy

There two things that are certain in this life - death and tax.

Death is the "Elephant in the room." It is an metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is either being ignored or going unaddressed.

Death is certain. Death is universal. In fact, it so universal that death applies not only to people, but to all animals and plants. Animals die and plants die, and even whole species waste away and become extinct. Even non-living things experience decay and wearing away. Homes, cars, i-phones, i-pads, video games, and clothes wear out and must eventually go back to the dust, just as do their owners. Even the universe itself is running down and heading toward an ultimate "heat death."

In science this universal reign of decay and death is called the Second Law of Thermodynamics or the Law of Increasing Entropy which simply means that everything tends to become disordered, to run down and eventually dies.

But in the Bible this universal reign of decay and death is called ...

Romans 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21: Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Death is a great spoiler of life

Death is our great enemy, the great separator of families and friends. If you have live long enough like most of us here today, death has touched your life one way or another. For many of us death has touched a family member or a close relative or a friend or a co-worker.

Who is able prevent death? 

In spite of our learning and knowledge and discoveries in the medical field, we are not able to prevent death. We could prolong life but not completely stop death. 

Great men die, men of great strength and power die, men of great wealth die. No man is wise enough to outsmart death or wealthy enough to buy freedom from death or strong enough to out-power death. The grave always wins the victory and every person sooner or later returns to the dust. Survey reveals that 10 out of 10 people die.

So what is our hope? How do we conquer death?

II - God will abolish death completely and forever

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

But here in this verse we read "He will swallow up death in victory." This is first announcement that death will cease to exist. Isn't that a wonderful news that that dreadful thing that most of us fear all our lives will be forever be abolished.

Hebrews 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

This is a prophesy that God will swallow death up in victory? He will destroy death. He will kill death. He will annihilate death. And He did! 

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

III - How will God abolish death?

1. Through His Son

Jesus Christ is the great Conqueror of death. The Prince of life, who had life in Himself; who had power to lay down His life, and power to take it up again; He, and He alone, could conquer death.

Death, our greatest enemy has conquered all men but Christ. 

2. Through the death of His Son

God conquered and abolished death through death. Jesus Christ the Son of God, came became a man, lived a perfect life, suffered and died, but after three days He rose from the dead.

It is like some snake bite where the only cure or antidote for the snake venom is the snake venom.

Hebrews 2:14 ... that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

The death of death in the death of Christ!

1 Corinthians 15:54 ... Death is swallowed up in victory. 55: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is only Jesus Christ who can abolish death since He is the only One who was not bitten by sin.

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Christ was the only One who was not bitten by sin, no sin, yet He was judged as if He is the guilty one. He was made sin for us. He was made curse for us.

Now death is to be swallowed up — quenched, absorbed, as the original word implies — just as something which the sea might bury in its depths, or the fire decompose into its elemental forms.

IV - God will wipe away our tears

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Death is not the only cause of human mourning. There are many things in this life that cause God's people to weep - our own sins and unbelief, the sins of others, various sorts afflictions and persecutions. But these will all be no more in the New Jerusalem state ...

Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2: And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (see 7:15-17).

He will remove sufferings and sorrows, and the causes of them forever. Therefore God is said to wipe them away, having removed the cause of them.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces. The allusion is to a tender parent, that takes a handkerchief, and wipes the face of its child, when it has been crying, and quiets and comforts it.

The triumph of the Savior over the grave was designed to give great rest and gladness of heart.

Psalm 30:5b ... weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Weeping may come and stay for the night. It may last for a season, but joy will come in the morning. Weeping may come and last because of a death in the family, loss of job, sickness, disappointment, rejection, abandoned, sin, wrong choices, etc. There may be grief and sorrow for a season but weeping and sorrow will turn into joy.

For the child of God sorrow will always be temporary and will always be followed by joy. We are confident of this because our Saviour is not a dead Saviour. He came back to life to give hope and forgiveness and salvation.

We may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.

He will take away the reproaches of His people

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

God will remove forever His people's disgrace from all the earth. He will remove forever all insults, reproaches and mockery against his land and people. God's people will no longer be subject to reproach. 

In this life they have to endure continually reproach, rebuke, contumely ...

Psalm 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

In the resurrection-life they will be exempt from any such annoyance.

All the reproaches and slander which have been cast upon them, and all misrepresentations of them, shall be taken away from them everywhere, and they will no longer lie under them, but stand clear of all false charges and accusations: or all persecution shall now cease; there shall be none to hurt them in all the holy mountain.

This implies, that the people of God have been, and will be more or less, under reproach, in all ages, till the glorious period here spoken of arrive.

For the Lord hath spoken it

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

The Lord hath spoken it. God's word has gone forth. There can be no retractation. The blessings promised are certain to be obtained.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Closing Thoughts

So what's our hope? Our hope is in God! Whether in this life or in the life to come.

There are many promises and blessings on the account that Christ rose from the dead!

Death had lost its sting

1 Corinthians 15:54 ... Death is swallowed up in victory. 55: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death has lost its power grip on us. Our triumph over death is assured and foretaste of it is given in the conquest of the Lord Jesus over the grave. He is our Conqueror of death. Of course if the Lord delays His coming, we shall still all pass through death; but death has lost it's sting.

But we will one day be resurrected in bodies never to die again. The Christians have this blessed hope: death isn't the end, it's really the beginning.

Tears will be wiped away. There shall be perfect and endless joy. Those that mourn for sin shall be comforted. Those who suffer for Christ shall have consolations. But in the joys of heaven, and not short of them, will fully be brought to pass this saying, God shall wipe away all tears.

We sorrow not as one without hope

Again, if the Lord delays His coming, we shall still all pass through death, our loved ones will still pass through death. And in this life there will tears shed because of that. But the Bible says, on the account that Jesus died and rose again we do not sorrow as those who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18: Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

For believers only!

But we need to understand that these promises and blessings are for believers, and for believers only! 

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Do you believe?

Because He Lives!

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Chorus

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!