A Weekly Word: 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
January 01, 2020
What will the epitaph on your headstone say? Granted, death probably isn’t a topic
you’ve spent a lot of time pondering amid your college years. When you’re 18 or 20
years old, you anticipate that your life will stretch on for many decades to come,
with countless dreams, goals and adventures still ahead.
While that’s true for the vast majority of young adults, the reality is that death
is a part of life that can strike anyone at any time. Here at Ouachita, our campus
has been touched in recent years by the unexpected deaths of a few of our outstanding
students.
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
For those who are followers of Jesus, physical death is not the end but a transition
to eternal life with Christ. I Corinthians 15:55 poses the powerful questions, “O
death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
A careful look at the passage reveals that the message is not so much about death
as it is about eternal triumph. According to verse 57, even in the face of death,
Christians can look forward to “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Back to the epitaph question. My dad, a decorated World War II veteran and longtime
Baptist deacon, was a dedicated Christian layman throughout his adult life. The message
on his headstone, taken from Philippians 1:21, declares, “To live is Christ. To die
is gain.” That’s another way of affirming that death can never claim victory over
those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
What will your epitaph say? Even if the words you choose aren’t carved into your headstone
for another 60 or 80 years, you can live each day in anticipation and appreciation
of Jesus’ promise of ultimate victory over death itself.
By Trennis Henderson, Vice President for Communications
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