The Sting of Death

Yesterday I grabbed a few books and sat on the couch to read with my two youngest kids. Of the books I had selected, they chose to read The Grinch by Dr. Seuss. We read it together, a book they really enjoy, and then I was reminded by the name written in it in pencil that we had received it from a boy named Willard. Several years ago, we visited his family, who are from Burundi, and we delivered some Christmas presents to them. He was probably about 11 at the time, and I remember that he was so kind and grateful that he wanted to give back to us. So, he went and got his well-used book The Grinch and gave it to us. We didn’t keep in close contact with their family after that, but we heard from our mutual friend that Willard later developed cancer. My wife put a fundraiser together for him to help his family, and eventually he passed away at the age of about 13. So, as I sat there on the couch I explained that Willard who gave us this book had died. We continued talking but soon my four-year-old daughter commented, “I hate every page of that book” and hid herself under the blanket. She wouldn’t explain herself when we tried to talk to her, but what we gathered was that learning this boy had died had upset her and she didn’t know how to deal with this feeling. Her tender heart felt, perhaps, in some small way the “sting of death” that Paul wrote about and she didn’t know how to take it in.

                Gratefully we have hope through Jesus Christ that this “sting of death” will not endure. Paul’s words rejoicing in the resurrection included these: “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55) He was quoting in part from Isaiah who said this, “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” (Isaiah 25:8). The grave and death do not have victory because Jesus Christ has overcome them. Abinadi used similar language as he taught shortly before he would enter the grave: “And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ” (Mosiah 16:7-8). This was a powerful testimony in particular because he was about to face death himself and put his faith in action as he trusted in the Lord even as he was killed. Aaron used similar language as he taught the king of the Lamanites: “And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king” (Alma 22:14). In some of Mormon’s final words he used the same phrases in this exhortation to us: “Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up. And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat” (Mormon 7:5-6). Of course, death does certainly have a sting for those who are torn from their loved ones by death, even when they have a hope in Christ. Like my daughter yesterday, we will all face the pain of death of those we love, and surely my experiences with it will only increase in my future as I get older. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, we trust that this sting can ultimately be swallowed up in Christ knowing that through Him we will all live again. The great message of Easter is that because of Him, we can be with our loved ones once more. And no mortal philosophy or power, no earthly organization or celebrity, no political group or military might, can offer us this—no, only Jesus Christ can give us the promise of resurrection and an eternal reunion with those who have died.