Death, where is your sting?

The past few Easter's I have felt like God has given me a 'theme', for lack of a better word, each year.  Just something that was really resonating with me each year.  This week when I started praying about what God wanted to teach me this Easter season, He screamed it at me.  He has been screaming it at me for almost 5 months.  "Death, where is your sting?"  For years, I have associated this term with Jesus's rising and never really thought about how it applied to me in the physical sense.  Oh, I know how it applies to my salvation.  I know that it applies to my total redemption and my place in Heaven. But this year, when I sang those words a couple of weeks after my grandfather died, I lifted my hands in a whole new worship.  I cried and sang as loud as my quivering voice would let me. "Oh, death where is your sting? Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated!"  My grandfather's death has taught me so much about my faith.  It has pointed out areas I was weak in, it has pushed me to walk more faithfully, and it has increased my joy and thankfulness.  Over and over this week I have thought, "I cannot imagine the praise and teaching my grandfather is getting to experience in Heaven."   I do not know if they celebrate differently up there this week than normal.  I am going to guess that they do.  I believe that because with all the praise going on down here this week, i believe they hear it up there, and you know it must fire them up!   Death cannot win for a believer.  It cannot.  It does not.  It doesn't win for those of us left behind after a believing loved one dies.  I know people think I have lost my mind when I say there is joy in it, but there is.  I literally am overjoyed at the reward my grandfather must have found in heaven.  I know how much he loved Jesus.  Anybody who was anywhere close to him did.  So I know how much fun and total completion he found when he breathed his last here and found himself with his precious Lord.  Jesus's resurrection absolutely sin.  It also completely defeated death.  There may be physical pain.  There may be emotional pain.  BUT IT IS DEFEATED. I have over and over said these past few months that I have no idea how non believers survive these losses.  The sadness, the grief, the missing them forever, the sting.  I am now, more than ever, so grateful to not grieve in that way.  My grief is rooted in missing him temporarily.  It is wishing I could hear him tell me this Sunday, when I had on my Easter dress, "You sure are looking pretty.  You take after me."  And then grin that big ol' grin and hug me.  I miss him telling me that he loves me and know that he meant it to the very depth of his being.  I miss hearing him pray.  The closeness he had with God and the respect and love that he spoke with.  I miss his mischievousness and that grin.  But I do not wish him back.  And I can laugh and have peace and joy knowing that because Jesus not only died for my sins, but defeated death completely when He rose 3 days later.  I will be with my grandfather again.  I will hug him again.  I will laugh with him again.  And I will praise the only name worth praising with him.  We bow down together at the feet of Jesus Christ.  We will declare him the King of Kings who defeated Satan, sin, the grave, and death.  HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOR!!

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon Him

One final breath He gave
As heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken

The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love would not be overcome
Now death where is your sting?
Our resurrected King
Has rendered you defeated

[Chorus]
(Now) Forever He is glorified
Forever He is lifted high
(And) Forever He is risen
He is alive, He is alive

SONGWRITERS
JOHNSON, MICHAEL EDWIN

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