Living in a world marked by death

This week we will look at the foundational Christian truth of the resurrection of the dead (Hebr.6:1-3). This truth is liberating and encouraging, not only giving us a new perspective on life but raising us up into a complete newness of life in Christ Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life.

Living in a world marked by death

All earthly creatures are perishable as we are all subjected to death and decay. Because of sin the whole creation has been subjected to a terrible curse. We have all felt this curse through illness, disease, weakness, aging, loss of dear ones etc. Death is a universal reality that no human being can escape, even though man has tried and still tries unsuccessfully in various way to do so. Man is trying to fight death to no avail.

How death entered the world

In the beginning God created heaven and earth as an expression of his love. The visible creation was intended to reflect the eternal and invisible reality in which God exists. Man and woman were created in the image and likeness of God to make his glory visible. They were given a dominion mandate to rule and cultivate the earth and everything that is in it. They were also told to multiply and to fill the earth with the glory of God through reproduction and multiplication in order for the rule of God to be expressed in every corner of the world so that the will of God would be done on earth as in heaven. Therefore God made a garden in Eden – paradise – and placed the first man Adam and his wife Eve in this perfect environment. God commissioned them to guard the garden and to extend it to the ends of the earth, thus turning the entire earth into a paradise (the word paradise literally means “a garden”).

However the enemy of God, Satan, approached the woman and seduced her. The man, being the head of the woman, did not guard her or protect her from the seducer. Rather he chose to rebel against God and to disobey the commandment of God. Through Adam’s act sin entered the world. From the very moment he sinned against God, his fellowship with God was broken and death began its terrible work in him and in the entire world:

When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Rom 5:12)

Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. (Ro 8:20)

Sin brought distortion not only into man’s relation with God but into the universe in which he lives. The creation no longer measures up to that for which it was intended. The entire creation was originally created as a perfect creation in order to glorify God. When the curse was put upon it, God’s purpose was interfered with in that a perishing and decaying creation cannot perfectly glorify Him. It was rendered relatively futile in that respect. Creation was made subject to frustration against its own will. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, drought, and floods are just a few evidences of the imbalance of nature. Paul says that nature was reduced to this state of tension and dislocation by God.

Even though God subjected the earth to death and decay, he did it with a promise. With the curse he gave a definite hope of a future day when this frustration will be removed (Gen. 3:15; Rom.8:19-23), because creation itself will also be set free from slavery to deterioration. God has promised that the very creation which has been enslaved to deterioration and corruption will be set free from this condition. One day the entire creation will be redeemed and released from sin, death, deterioration and finiteness, all the pressures we constantly feel and share with the rest of creation as long as we have our mortal bodies.

Expectations of the bodily resurrection

Throughout the whole Bible we find promises of an end to death and suffering. The final release from death and decay will come through the bodily resurrection. The Messiah will be the first one to conquer death and he will redeem the entire human race from sin’s curse and bring life and immortality to everyone who believes the good news. The following quotations from the Old Testament show some of the expectations among God’s people in the old covenant:

My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the deador allow your godly oneto rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. (Ps 17:15-18:1)

But because I have done what is right, I will see you. When I awake, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face. (Ps 17:15-18:1)

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last.And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! (Job 19:25-27)

Yet we have this assurance: Those who belong to God will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For God’s light of life will fall like dew on his people in the place of the dead! (Is 26:19)

Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever. (Dan 12:1-3)

But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lordas ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’So he is the God of the living, not the dead. They are all alive to him.” (Luke 20:36-38)

Exercise:

In what way are you feeling the touch of death on this world?

How has the teaching today strengthened your hope?

Continue to memorise the previous Bible verses, and add this one to your list:

Yet we have this assurance: Those who belong to God will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For God’s light of life will fall like dew on his people in the place of the dead! (Isaiah 26:19)