Scared to Death

READ: ROMANS 8:38-39; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-57; HEBREWS 2:14-15 What cause of death are you most afraid of? For me, it’s definitely getting eaten by a great white shark. (Yeah, and all those episodes of Shark Week have not helped me overcome my greatest fear!) We can think of all kinds of terrifying ways to die, but the truth is many people find death itself equally terrifying. This leads us to an interesting question: should Christians be afraid of death? According to Hebrews 2:14-15, Jesus came to earth for the very purpose of dying. We may be tempted to believe that, because Jesus died on the cross, He must have somehow failed His mission to earth. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus’s death on the cross accomplished two momentous victories! The first victory is the defeat of the devil (Hebrews 2:14). It’s true that the devil still exists and is active today; however, he is completely powerless over believers. There is nothing he can do to force you to obey him in any way. In fact, James 4:7 says, “ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The second victory is deliverance from the “fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). One of the devil’s greatest weapons is his ability to enslave people to this fear. By dying on the cross, Jesus made this weapon powerless. How is that possible? Through His death, Jesus paid the penalty for sin that each of us owes. And through His resurrection, He overcame the power of death. Once we’ve personally trusted in Jesus as our Savior from sin and death, we no longer need to be afraid of facing God’s wrath when we die (John 3:36; Hebrews 9:27-28). Instead, we can rest in the sure hope of Jesus. He promises that all His people “will live, even though they die,” and they will enjoy the presence of God forever (John 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 21:1-5). Because of Jesus’s love, we no longer need to be scared to death of death. • Jonathon Fuller • What are a few reasons someone might be afraid of death? Take a moment to write these down. • Reread today’s Bible passages. Why would the above reasons to be afraid of death no longer apply to someone who belongs to Jesus? • Sometimes, even if we know there’s no reason to fear, we still feel afraid. And God has so much compassion on us! If you’re struggling with fears of death, consider taking some time to talk to Him about it. In addition to talking to God, who is a trusted Christian adult you could talk to? “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)