Cancer Blog #82
By Brian Zimmerman
Begun on July 31, 2021
Email: dyingman1@yahoo.com
My Dying Words
Entry #82– Death Is Swallowed Up
April 29, 2023
[1Co 15:54-58] 54 …DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not [in] vain in the Lord.
We continue in Paul’s discussion of death in one of his most famous passages. Here he brings together and extrapolates from several Old Testament (OT) passages to reach a somewhat surprising conclusion from the fact of death.
Paul writes from not only his experience of near death events on a number of occasions as he traveled to bring the gospel to the Gentile world but also writes from his deep knowledge of what God promises concerning death in the OT (especially here in Isaiah and Hosea). And expounding on that knowledge , he addresses Death, in fact, I would go so far as to say that he taunts Death: “O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” This address reminds me of King Ahab’s reply (in 1 Kings 19:20) to an attacking king who insisted that there was no hope in resisting: “‘Tell him, “Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.”’” In other words, no king should boast of certain victory before the battle has been fought as if he had won, until he is removing his armor after victory.
Death fought the battle of the grave with Jesus – and lost. The tomb is empty. Jesus removed his armor – his grave clothes – and has now emerged as the first man of a whole new creation, victorious in His battle against Death.
We should look also at Paul’s conclusion, his extrapolation from this miraculous victory. In vs. 58 he begins with the word, “Therefore…” He is saying that in light of this victory through Jesus over death, not only as we might expect: don’t fear death, look with hope and joy to the age that is to come. He concludes instead, death’s defeat and Christ’s victory changes not only how we look at the future, but also how we live in the present: “Be steadfast, immovable.” We should be a rock in a world that is confused, frightened, unsure, changing directions and convictions as the wind blows. We, on the other hand, know that the battle has been won, and so have courage for the present life.
Further, we should abound “…in the work of the Lord, knowing [that our] toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Though we may often fear our work here might be in vain – family and friends unconvinced of their sin and of Christ’s resurrection, our personal failure to change and grow in grace as we ought, wondering if the church of God will survive. But, Paul says, “Therefore…” Death has lost. There is no hope of victory for it, and so Paul mocks it. It seemed so sure in the BC era but in AD, history changed. He concludes that instead of being defeated, Jesus has been raised and so we have every expectation of success. Paul did not have perfect success on every missionary journey or in every sermon. Even then he was absolutely certain that because Jesus had won, the Spirit has the power to reverse every defeat that Death was sure of in the past: to soften any heart hardened by sin, open any eye blinded, unstop any ear deafened, for the gospel has now been freed and it can never be stopped. We are, therefore immovable, steadfast, and all our works in the Lord will be fruitful, never done in vain. Jesus the King has arrived and established His Kingdom, and we are part of that Kingdom, where there is no fear of death, only a joy of life with Him and one another – To which we should say, “Hallelujah!”
NEXT: Carrying Around Death
MEDICAL UPDATE: I’m late getting this entry out today because of health issues. My blood pressure this morning dropped to 88/58 with a heart rate of 110 bpm, giving me a slightly out of body experience! At least I knew the feeling well enough to sit down immediately and then check my BP. I began drinking fluids to help raise the BP to 139/79, heart rate of 91 bpm, making me feel better though still very weak. I have done only some small chores this morning as I would have to sit down occasionally to have the strength to finish the jobs. I truly live day by day as I have no other choice as my health dictates everything I want to do. But, God is merciful in giving me a wonderful wife, but one also happens to be a surgical nurse and so is a great help in managing my health. And wonderful friends who are such a great help and encouragement.
My oncologist wants me to continue with the current chemo drug regimen so I intend to try to do that, but the side effects are sometimes difficult to manage so we’ll have to see what the Lord enables me to do.