He was physically dead, but now is risen -- Christ is. The tomb is empty. Has an echo in there.
You know euphemisms are a way to convey something without actually saying a specific word ..that may be considered too unpopular, too awkward, too blunt, or just too direct in our society. Like with the term, "Death."
Did ya know our society has over 200 different ways to say or describe death and dying. Yup does!
I often use the funny ways to refer to death.. with my friends.. but not when near those who have lost a loved one. Some polite Euphemisms etc for it are..
- Asleep
- At Home
- At Peace
- At Rest
- Kicked The Bucket
- Passed
- Expired
- Bravely Fought ___ (insert the applicable condition or disease)
- Called Home (It’s amazing how almost 100% think they were)
- Called Away To His or Her Reward (Some won’t like their reward)
- Deceased
- Reached room temperature
- Slipped Away Quietly
- Succumbed
- Swan Song
- Taken By ___ (insert the applicable condition, disease, or accident)
- Bereft Of Life
- Bid Adieu To Earthly Scenes
- Said Farewell To This World
- Entered The Regions Of Immortal Felicity
- Eternal Sabbath
- Exchanged Worlds
- Fought The Good Fight (in reference to 2 Timothy 4:7)
- Was Gathered To His People
- Gave Up The Ghost
- Got Their Wings
- Bought The Farm
- Cash In One’s Chips
- Is Checkin’ Out The Grass From The Other Side (Underneath)
- Climbed The Golden Staircase
- Dirt Nap
- Final Curtain Call
- Went Into The Fertilizer Business
- Became Worm Food
- Went To Davy Jones’s Locker
- Juggling Halos Now (..as if!)
- Was Just Stamped “Return To Sender”
- Kicked The Oxygen Habit
People just don’t want to say or think about that “D” word. Often, when theories of death and what happens after death are discussed, you might hear “We think..,” “We hope..,” but hey guess what.. the Bible uses these two words, “We know!” (See 2 Corinthians 5:1). I like that, cuz it’s kind of an important subject huh. Knowing is far better than guessing, and being ready sure beats almost ready. The Bible says...
"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:12-13
We know our time on earth and our bodies on earth (as they are now) are temporary, and our permanent residence and a new body awaits each of us up in heaven. He’s your mansion builder. Is that a really big home there, or a new body for you?
In his book “The Grave Robber,” author Mark Batterson says,
There is nothing wrong with wanting to live a long life, but death isn’t something we (spiritually reborn believers) dread. Death was defeated two thousand years ago. And to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So death is something we can actually anticipate because it’s not the end. It’s a new beginning. And many miracles we hoped for on earth will finally be fulfilled in heaven.
Remember post-resurrection how Christ ate fish with the guys. Jesus still has a physical body today, and he can fly so to speak. Think about His ascension on up. You and I will one day have resurrected bodies like His body is, and we’ll get to do stuff he does. And one day soon the Rapture will happen. And one day after the Second Coming the third heaven that’s beyond the second heaven with all those stars will come down -- heaven and earth will become one here during the millenium here with him as our King.
Take heart, believer. Be encouraged in Christ today. You can say the “D” word without any fear or doubt! Jesus chose to take up residence in His earthly body, and He willingly laid down His life so that He could be physically resurrected and then take up residence in you by His Holy Spirit. You are bought with a price, and at that moment when you turn (repent), and trust the Lord (believe with saving faith).. at the moment of your salvation, God, through His Spirit, takes up residence in your body, and your life is no longer your own. It’s His! You are a brand new creation. The old is gone and the new has come!
Give praise to God, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made. The Bible declares that you are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). Dwell in that beautiful truth. God specifically thought of you. God delights in you. God desires for you to love Him and to glorify Him with the life He has so freely given you.
As Paul tells us, death has no victory and has lost its sting because Jesus has conquered the grave!
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29
Because He lives and you are in His hands, you too, shall live forever! Secure!
John 1:12 - But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God--
John 5:24 - Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
John 20:31 - But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
1 John 1:2 - And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.
1 John 2:25 - And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
1 John 3:23 - And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.
1 John 4:9 - This is how God's love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
1 John 5:11 - And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1 John 5:20 - And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true--in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
God’s hands are big enough to bless you. Jesus would lay his hands on people and bless them. He does the same for you. Isaiah 62:3 says, “The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—a splendid crown in the hand of God” (NLT).
God’s hands are scarred to never forget you. In heaven, the only scars will be on Jesus. Do you think God can forget you? He has a constant reminder of you in his nail-scarred hands. The Bible says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV).
God’s hands are strong enough to keep you eternally secure. John 10:28-29 says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish . . . My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (NIV. Rick Warren on hands).
Come to Jesus.. or come back to Him as you are. Clean your own life up and then come? No, better idea -- come to Jesus now as you are..but willing to be changed..willing to cooperate as He cleans you up. This fisherman catches his fish so to speak and then cleans em all from the inside out. Just know that His sanctification is a lifetime process.
Once you turn, trust and put your life in God’s hands, then nobody can snatch you out of them. You may wonder, “Can’t a person just jump out?” How big and strong do you think your loving Father’s hands really are? Death can’t even take you away from God.
1. What is the meaning of Easter? Yeah, what does Easter even mean?
2. What is the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs? Due to the pagan origins of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs, should Christians participate in all that stuff?
3. Should Christians celebrate Easter? Should Christians observe the Easter holiday? Is Easter truly a Christian celebration?
4. Is Easter a pagan holiday? Does the Easter holiday have pagan origins? Does Easter come from paganism?
5. What are the origins of Easter? How did the Easter holiday originate? Where did the Easter celebration come from?
6. What is it really for.. Easter Sunday? What does Easter have to do with Jesus’ resurrection? shouldn’t Easter be called Resurrection Sunday?
7. Why do we celebrate Easter? Why should we celebrate Easter? Is Easter a holiday that is worth celebrating?
8. Who was Ishtar, and is there any connection between Ishtar and Easter? Is the word Easter derived from Ishtar or Eostre?
9. What is an Easter Vigil? Should..or How should a Christian observe an Easter Vigil?
10. How is or was the date for Easter determined?
11. Got some more Questions about Easter? Where did all those Easter traditions come from? Are they really necessary? Should Christians even be into all those?
12. Huh!.. What is Easter Monday? What happened on the Monday after Jesus’ death and resurrection?
13. Need an Easter Bible reading plan?
14. Should Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday? On a Sunday can Christians actually participate in the aspects of Easter that have pagan origins?
15. What is Pascha and how is that related to Easter? Why does Pascha fall on a different day than Easter?
16. Sup with the Christian and Holidays?
Is Jesus really physically alive now? Yep. Lots of eyewitnesses saw him post-tomb.
Sup with all that prevents me from celebrating this Historical event that can impact my life today?
What happens when you let the fleshly nature have its way? The flesh demands more and more and more. Never satisfied inside you. I say crucify the fleshly nature.
Just say NO to the flesh with its perv-passions. Instead, have red hot passion for the Spirit and His will for you. That’s way better -- God loves you!
What to do with the fleshly nature in me -- starve it to death, don’t feed it only to hear it yell for MORE. (Starve you? No, not you, your old nature that craves all that is not good for you). Feed your human spirit with the truth of the word.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
“For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell.”
Psalm 49:8-9
"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true.." 1 John 5:19-20.
And say NO to this corrupt world system, but say YES to the Jesus of the Bible. Do not be conformed to this world system. Die to self daily, live pure in heart, disciplined with Jesus as Lord, and come alive into God. Regardless of how you feel cuz feelings can be so fickle. Live in the word. Yes, intimately, godly, on-fire, obediently with JOY. Not religiously cold or luke-warm spiritually. (See Gal. 5:16-24, Rom. 12:1-2)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45
I so enjoy Easter only cuz I love my time with Him. Think about it, if Jesus didn’t die on that lonely cross on Calvary’s hill for you and me, and if He didn’t rise again from the dead on the third day.. then nothing matters. We should just feast, suck down a lot of beer and party hardy. Sure, like a proverbial wild party animal (all that’d be moronic huh. Sin is never a good idea, cuz it destroys lives and God hates it). Come to Him now..candidly, bodly, humbly.
"What good has it done me if, merely from a human point of view, I fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised at all, let us eat and drink enjoying ourselves now, for tomorrow we die." ~ Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:32 amp
“Right after Jesus died on the cross:
The earth shook, and rocks broke, and tombs opened, and many godly men and women who had died came back to life again. After Jesus’ resurrection, they left the cemetery and went into Jerusalem, and appeared to many people there.”
Matthew 27:51-53
