Had a lady call today seeing if I’d be
interested in the local paper. “Do you
enjoy reading the paper at all?” she asked.
“No,” I said, “I make it a point to never read the paper.” Well that usually starts an interesting
conversation about why, but the answer is the same reason I turn my head (if
safe) to avoid looking at roadkill.
This afternoon I had to face one head
on, laying in the middle on my side of the road. Dead.
No life left inside its tiny body.
I cried for the next few minutes- for a world savaged by death, a people
who should have lived forever, but to whom sin brought death in our flesh and
the world around us.
And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as
one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take
also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, therefore Jehovah God sent
him out from the garden of Eden… Gn. 3:22,23
Therefore, even as
through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death
passed on all men inasmuch as all sinned: Rom. 5:12
But God did not leave us- or the world-
stuck in this eternal state of death.
Instead there was a plan for One to come down and redeem the
people. Jesus Christ was born (Lk.
2:5-33), ministered to many people bringing the truth of God and salvation to
them (the Gospels), and then was tortured (Mt. 26:67-27:30), and crucified Him
on a cross meant for criminals (v.31-50) even though he was innocent*. Jesus became our Redeemer, bringing eternal
life back to the people through Him (Rm. 6:23 ).
So says Jehovah,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am
Jehovah your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you
should go. Is. 48:17
For your Maker is your husband; Jehovah of Hosts is His name;
and your Redeemer is the Holy One of
Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called. Is. 54:5
For I know that my
Redeemer lives, and He shall rise on the earth at the last; Job 19:25
And that was not the end of the plan for
Jesus rose from the dead breaking the bondage of sin and death (Rm. 5:14 -21).
The great thing is the plan does not end there. The final plan is that death will be
eliminated from our world for good. Gone
for good! We will live forever in a
perfect world of abounding life. And
death and hell shall be cast into the Lake
of Fire 20:14 ). This world,
man, free from death forever. Praise the
Lord God Almighty who reigns forever and returns once more to Redeem us once and
for all.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality. But
when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and when this mortal shall put
on immortality, then will take place the word that is written, "Death is
swallowed up in victory. O death, where is
your sting? O grave, where is your
victory?" The sting of death is
sin, and the strength of sin is the Law.
But thanks be to God who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cr. 15:53 -57
*2Cr. 5:21 ;
1Pt. 2:22 ; Hb. 4:15 , 9:14