A Bright Light

 

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58 ESV).

 

I’m writing this late in the day, May 19, 2023. Earlier today I received a text from my oldest son that a very familiar writer, theologian, and pastor we both follow was placed in hospice care and gravely ill. His name is Tim Keller. A bit later in the day I received a notification that he had died. He was an American pastor, theologian, and Christian apologist. He was the chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City, which trains pastors for service around the world. He was also the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. For 28 years he led that diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. He was 72 years old. He will be missed by many. He was a bright light!

 

Perhaps one of my favorite quotes from him is: “All death can now do to Christians is to make their lives infinitely better.” Thinking over the many times I have read his works, this quote reminds me of one of my favorite passages, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. I have chosen that as our reading today. It clearly declares the hope believers possess. Simply said: Death is not the end; it is the beginning of eternal life. That’s what Jesus said when standing at the grave of his friend Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). Life on earth is not a one-way journey to the cemetery. We simply change locations. We can be sure of this because of Jesus’ resurrection. We can be assured of this because of Jesus’ resurrection. Our future is assured. “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” And that victory includes our own resurrection in the new heavens and earth.