"Death Changes Everything"

   Death changes everything! The passing of a loved one is difficult even if we know their love for the Lord and His truth. Death changes everything! The memories become dear. The holidays that we once shared aren't the same. Some days you long for the loved one so deeply. With all our advanced medical technology, death cannot be stopped.

  But what about the death of Jesus? Everything changed the day He died! EVERYTHING! The people stood in their insults and tears as they witnessed the elements on the earth change. The words came from the cross: "It is finished!" (John 19:30) From that split second to two thousand years later, everything changed.

  The disciples of Jesus were at a loss. Death changes everything! Their Lord simply passed on in their mind to which Peter responds: "I am going fishing." (John 21:3) That's it! Life is over. The One whom they had set their hope as the deliverer was gone. What would become of His teachings? What would they do with His teachings? All the miracles they witnessed, what was that about? Their hopes were dashed. Death changes everything!

  But the death of Jesus changed everything. He arose and defeated death on Sunday morning. He's alive and is still living. His tomb remains empty. His body that was pummeled beyond recognition was well as Jesus walked among man. "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." (John 20:27) Jesus spoke these words to Thomas. Jesus died and arose from the dead! Death no longer has the final say in the life of Jesus. Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades and is alive forevermore (Rev. 1:18). 

  The apostles stood and watched the Lord of mankind, the Lord of death and over all the earth ascend to the Father. "You shall be My witnesses", Jesus spoke to those men. The death of Jesus changed everything, even death itself! The gospel is a gospel of life, not death. It's a gospel that through death we live because of Christ. "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same, that through death He might He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Heb. 2:14-15) Death changes everything! And the resurrected Christ changed death!