⁵³For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed upin victory. ⁵⁵“Odeath, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Among the most common final words at a graveside interment, these words remind us of the great hope we have, the promise that in the end, that great enemy, death, does not have the final word. The Lord Jesus Christ does, praise God. That which began at the fall of humankind (in Adam and Eve) will have its final answer, its defeat. Death will be vanquished. How can anyone improve on this poetic rendition of justice, this eternal conquest, the terminal bookend to the history of humanity on earth?

The pinnacle of God’s creation, His image bearers are designed for eternity. But the entire class of humanity (with no exception) fell into perishability and mortality! Why? Sin! No explanation gets simpler than that.

… of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:17)

From the time of the Garden of Eden until the day of death for each individual human, the history of sin plays out from start to finish. We have a biological DNA connection back to that first man and woman, so the story of human history is ours individually. As it plays out in each life, death reigning is the promise, the unavoidable eventuality, the consequence of our ratification of Adam’s first sin in the sinful actions and thoughts of our everyday lives, proving we inherited that sin nature that was his and is now ours.

God did not shirk on His word; death must take place. But it is overwhelmed by something far greater—to the point that God does not refer to death as a monstrous, cosmic discussion stopper. Instead, death is reduced to a mere sting. No, it hasn’t changed in its spiritual intensity; it has been “swallowed up in victory.” In comparison, that which seemingly holds complete and absolute sway over every human is rendered a minor inconvenience.

Yes, death still hurts for the Christian, but not with the same destructive, unconditional, terminal force that it has for the unbeliever. Death for those who know Christ and Him crucified has been diluted down to an inconvenience by the massive, overwhelming triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Lord, thank You, thank You for the victory You have given us over death!