The Sting of Death

 

One of my favorite lines from Scripture comes from I Corinthians 15:55, which says, “O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” Paul’s question to death personified was actually borrowed from the prophet Hosea; in the thirteenth chapter of his letter, Hosea asks four questions intended to serve as a call for judgment on God’s wayward people. 

 

Hosea was inviting death to come as punishment, but Paul forever changed the meaning of Hosea’s prophecy. Hosea summoned death, but Paul sneered at it. Hosea asked, “Come over here Death, where is your sting?” Paul asked, “Is that all you’ve got Death? Where is your sting?” 

 

When I think about a sting, I can’t help but think about a wasp or bee. Maybe its because I was stung so frequently as a child, or maybe because I am highly allergic to them, but at the mention of a sting I instantly hear buzzing in my ears. As a child there was nothing scarier than getting stung. I lived in fear of the stinger. But now that I am older I realize the sting is the end of the wasp. Once he stings me, he can never sting again. It may hurt for a minute, but I’ll live to see the other side (provided I take my medicine, of course). If a wasp stings me today, I can taunt that wasp by asking, “Where is your sting?” Its stinger is forever dislodged, and that wasp has done the worst it can do. 

 

Death is like that. I am not trying to minimize the sting of death because my family has taken its best shot recently. Death is hard on us because we miss our loved ones, but Paul helps us see to the other side of death. How was Paul able to transform Hosea’s summons into a sneer? The answer is found in the work of Jesus and the gift of salvation. In the next two verses the apostle wrote: “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.” 

 

This comes from Paul’s longest treatise on the resurrection of Jesus, and because of His resurrection, there will be one for us as well. Because Jesus walked out of the tomb, we will rise from ours. These bodies which are sown as perishable will rise as ones imperishable. Even now, our loved ones who have passed on are alive and well in the presence of the Lord, celebrating this victory and laughing in the face of death. Death stings us because we miss those who have departed, but if they were saved, death did them a favor. 

 

For those who are alive and well in the presence of Jesus, they can join Paul in taunting Death, asking, “Is that all you’ve got?” As a child I feared death as much as I feared a bee sting, but as a child of God I am no longer afraid of either. I know their sting is temporary, and Death has been swallowed up in Victory. Our weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes with the morning. When our time on earth is up, Death will have done all it can ever do to us, and we will be the ones found victorious.   

 

In God’s Time

 

We often say that God does things in His time, not ours. Because we live in time we want things to happen right now; there have been plenty of times in my life that I wanted God to do something, and I wanted it done yesterday. We live by time. We keep calendars and make notes in planners. We know what time to punch in and what time to go home. Every morning when the alarm clock goes off we are reminded that the time to wake up is now, otherwise we will be late. Things start on time, and when we travel we like to make good time. We cannot separate ourselves from time because it is all around us. That has always been the case for civilization. The ancients made sundials because time was important even when there was no clock. 

 

We operate in time, but God exists outside of time. In fact, God created time to help us. He existed before there was time, and during the days of creation, God introduced the concept of time with the first evening and morning forming a literal day. Many stories begins “Once upon a time,” but the Bible begins “In the beginning [of time],” and God was already there. The point is, we want things done in our time, but God exists outside of time. 

 

This would be easier to understand if we were Greek. While the English language has supplied us with but a single word for time, the Greek language has twice as many. One word is chronos, which is the word associated with our understanding of time. It refers to the time of day, and gives us our word for chronology, the sequence of time. The other word is kairos, which refers to special moments in time. Chronos is quantity of time, while kairos is quality of time. You and I are always concerned with chronos time, but God is concerned with kairos time. This is why Peter could write, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (II Peter 3:8).” Similarly, this is why Jesus so often told people, including his human mother, that His time (kairos) had not yet come. It was not the divinely appointed time to act.

 

This is why Paul could write, “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (II Corinthians 4:18).” The things that are seen are temporary (chronos), and the things that are invisible, or occurring in the heavenly realm, are eternal (kairos). There is only one time zone in heaven, and it is KST, Kairos Standard Time. 

God’s time is not about the words on the calendar or the hands on the clock. God’s time is about accomplishing His will at the precise time, and in His sovereign control, He is able to work things out perfectly, based on factors that you and I cannot see. We can only look back in time, but God has our future in mind. So right now, in this moment in time, you may be wishing God would hurry up and do something, and maybe you are wondering what is taking Him so long. God will do what is best in His will and will work all things out for good, but He is going to do it in His perfect time. The time has not yet come, but that doesn’t mean that it wont, so don’t lose hope.   

 

Your Destiny

 

Most people are familiar with the two atomic bombs that helped bring about unconditional Japanese surrender and the end the of World War II. You might remember the name of Robert Oppenheimer, the leader of the Manhattan Project and the man credited with building the “big one.” You might remember the name of Colonel Paul Tibetts, the pilot who dropped the first bomb over Hiroshima from his plane, the Enola Gay. President Franklin Roosevelt gave the okay to begin the project, and President Harry S Truman gave the final green light to unleash the weapon and change the world. 

 

With as much attention that those four men received, there are some who are not usually mentioned in the telling of the beginning of the nuclear age. The men aboard the USS Indianapolis played a vital role. The ship seemed like a ship of destiny; when the Japanese launched their surprise attack that brought America into the war, the Indianapolis was on its way to Pearl Harbor, safely 700 miles away from the bombing. In 1945 the ship survived a kamikaze attack when a Japanese suicide bomber successfully landed his plane into the Indianapolis. The ship had to return home for repairs, and thus helped play a major part in American history. Once the repairs were completed, orders were given to transport a special container to Tinian Island that was so top secret, the ship’s skipper, Captain Charles McVay III, did not even know the contents. 

 

The contents were the components of the atomic bombs. 

 

Without knowing that they delivered A-bombs, the Indianapolis went back out to sea, where a Japanese submarine delivered a fatal blow to the American ship. The torpedo’s damage eventually destroyed the vessel. Of the 1,195 men on board, almost 400 died from the blast. 800 jumped into the water, where they were floating dinner for sharks. 316 were rescued, but the guilt led McVay to eventually take his own life after he was court-martialed and blamed for the attack. 

 

A ship that survived Pearl Harbor and a kamikaze attack eventually was destroyed by a submarine just before the war ended. Imagine if the torpedo had hit the Indianapolis on the way to Tinian Island as opposed to on the way from it. Regardless of what you might think about the ethics of dropping these bombs, they certainly shortened the war. General Douglas MacArthur was preparing for a land invasion of Japan, and he estimated that 500,000 people would die. As horrific as the bombs were, and we can certainly debate their morality, they brought an early end to the war. 

 

The Indianapolis was a ship of destiny. The crew was instrumental in ending the last world war. The ship’s story reminds of when people say, “God still has a purpose for you, or else He wouldn’t leave you here.” Once the purpose of the Indianapolis had been accomplished, the ship went down. I am not saying that was providential, but I do believe that is how it happens in life. As long as there is breath in your lungs, Christian, God still has something for you to do. As long as there is breath in your lungs, unbeliever, God is giving you a chance to repent and get right with Him. 

 

Whatever your purpose is—your destiny—then do it. God has left you here, so He has something for you to do. He is leaving you here until your destiny has been fulfilled. If you are still here, and you wouldn’t be reading this otherwise, then God expects you to be working for Him. Share the gospel, meet a need, teach a class, pray for the lost.

 

When writing I Corinthians, Paul said, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose (12:18).” The apostle was talking about spiritual gifts and how the Holy Spirit has gifted us according to His sovereign plan. If He has arranged us where He wants us and given us the gifts He has chosen, doesn’t it stand to reason that He also decides how long we are here and able to use these gifts? 

 

As long as you live, God expects you to work. We don’t retire until He calls us home. 

 

 

Rowing the Ship

The Apostles were pretty important people, weren’t they? What words would you use to describe the faithful ministers who first preached Jesus and founded the early churches—remarkable, significant, maybe vital? Think about it: where would we be without those original missionaries who passed on what they had seen and heard when they walked with Jesus?

 

As much as we might elevate that group, the New Testament writers chose to undersell them. Consider what Luke said to Theophilus in the introduction to his Gospel: “…just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us (1:2)…” It doesn’t jump out at us in English, but that word ministers is interesting in Greek. The word literally means “under rowers,” and it referred to the people who sat in the lowest part of the ship and paddled the oars. That was not exactly a glamours job. In fact, most people that boarded the ship had no idea who was doing the rowing; that was not their concern, and they just took it for granted. 

 

The role of under rower was such a menial job that it was often reserved for the lowest servants that could do little else. These galley slaves, as they were called, had no rank. They were coequal, and they were equally last. No young Jewish boy hoped to become an under rower when he grew up. This job was filled by the lowest of the low. Yet that is the word that Luke chose to describe the eyewitnesses that passed on their testimony of the life of Jesus. Is Luke insulting the Apostles? Hardly; that is the same word that the Apostle Paul used to describe himself in I Corinthians 4:1 (translated as servants in that verse). 

 

That is the reality of all believers. We should view ourselves as galley slaves for Christ. He is in charge, and we just follow orders. Among the slaves there is no rank. The senior pastor is no more important than the youth pastor, and neither are more important than those not in vocational ministry. We do not want people to know our name, we want them to know the name Jesus. 

 

The under rowers move the ship from point A to point B. Passengers relied on those rowers, even if they didn’t realize it. In the same way, the unsaved rely on Christians to keep faithfully passing on the gospel message until the whole world hears. For some that happens in the pulpit, but for most it is conversations at work, the grocery store, or the classroom. Don’t think for a second that what you do is not as important as what Charles Stanley does. He is an under rower, and so are you and I. Together we will keep rowing this ship, moving the gospel from point A to point B, telling the world that Jesus saves.  

   

Work While You Wait

 

Most of us probably remember the song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that said, “whistle while you work.” That song was sung by a group of woodland creatures that helped Snow White clean. Working isn’t fun, but when we are idle the time seems to move even more slowly. If we keep busy the clock seems to move with a little extra pep in its step. 

 

For those of us who believe that Jesus will return to rapture the church, we too find ourselves waiting. The animals whistled while they worked to help pass the time, but the Apostle Paul told us to work while we wait to help pass the time. In I Corinthians 1:7 Paul said the Corinthian Christians were “eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The phrase eagerly waiting translates a Greek verb that implies activity while waiting. 

 

Sometimes while we wait for something we just sit back and let others do the work. When we fly on an airplane we open a book, put on our headphones, or take a nap; while we are waiting someone is moving us to our final destination. Sometimes we wait while nothing is happening. When we sit in the doctor’s office waiting room, we flip through a magazine or scroll through our phones, but we are just killing time. Nothing productive is taking place. While we are waiting for the return of Christ Jesus, we need to be productive. The best use of our time while waiting is to worship and witness. 

 

Worship is so much more than just singing songs. When we worship we make a big deal out of God—we lift Him up with our words and actions. Witnessing will be the natural result because we will find ourselves constantly telling people about our great God. All the other good things we should do, from charitable giving, to serving, to using our spiritual gifts to minister, all flow from a heart that is engaged in worship. 

 

Waiting can be hard, but if we stay busy, it doesn’t seem like we are just waiting. Since Jesus is going to come back, we need to try to bring as many people with us as we can before we punch the clock and run out of time. We aren’t killing time, we are redeeming it.  

 

So whistle while you work, and work while you wait. The world might think it is dopey, and they might even get grumpy, but it will make God happy.   

Power Cycling

 

“Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?” 

 

That question is my contribution every time something doesn’t work. I’m terrible with electronics. I don’t know the difference between a router and a modem, but we have one of those things at the church and it powers our internet (I think). It seems that once a week no one can get online, but when I unplug the device, wait twenty to thirty seconds, and plug it back in, it usually works. Apparently that is called “power cycling.” If power cycling doesn’t work, I’m out of ideas. 

 

While I will never understand the ins and outs of electronic devices, I have come to learn that sometimes they just need to be unplugged. During that half minute or so it somehow regains it composure and is able to function again. It seemingly forgets how stubborn it was being just seconds ago, and it kicks right back into gear. I understand people a little bit better than I understand electronics, and I have also discovered that people need to unplug every now and then as well. 

 

Does the news ever get you frustrated? Turn it off. Does the violence on TV make you feel sick? Turn it off. Do the sexually explicit lyrics on the radio put bad thoughts into your head? Turn it off. Does the negativity on Facebook drag you down? Turn it off. Do the pictures of everyone else’s “perfect life” on Instagram make you feel inadequate? Turn it off. Does Twitter, well, just turn off Twitter. 

 

The Bible calls Satan the “prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2),” and I believe he uses the airwaves to get inside our heads. There is so much negativity, so much intended to divide us or tempt us, and it is constantly pumped into our heads. But we do have an advantage in this fight; we can simply turn it off. This is the way of escape mentioned in I Corinthians 10:13. No one is prying our eyelids open, forcing us to absorb any of this content. We do it willingly, and I wonder why. If Facebook made me angry every time I got on it, I’d stop getting on. If instagram made me feel like I can never measure up to other people, I’d stop getting on. But people have become addicted to those outlets, not even realizing how little they get in return. 

 

If that describes you, let me ask you the only question I know in regards to electronics: Have you tried turning it off? Take a break. Let things cool back down. I’m not saying never turn it back on; that is up to you. But I imagine that just like our modem (or maybe our router?), you will feel better after you unplug everything. And whatever you do, make sure you are filling your mind with something positive. That is why Paul wrote “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8).”