Almost every Sunday in worship services there are prayer requests for the family of someone who has died. The congregation where I served most of my ministry was across the street from a public cemetery, and I saw graveside services being held almost every day.

Death is a reality. We get reminders of that from the media and in our personal lives. We would rather not think about it too much, but when death strikes close to home, we have no choice but to confront and deal with it.

How do you deal with death? You will have to do so sooner or later. And I’m not just referring to the death of others. We all need to face our own mortality. Ready or not, death comes for us all.

So what is the answer? I hope you will turn to the only one who has the solution, and that is God. In His Word, he tells us repeatedly that He has taken care of the problem of death. And that is why each time I conducted a funeral or memorial service, I made every effort to point those present to the promises God makes in His Word.

It was sin that brought death into this world (Genesis 2:16-17), but God has provided the solution in Jesus. He came to take our punishment so that we would not have to die eternally (John 3:16).

In just a few weeks we will celebrate the victory over death that Jesus accomplished for everyone. That celebration is not limited to Easter. It is a daily reality for those who put their faith and confidence in Christ.

While we still have to contend with physical death as a consequence of sin, it is not the end. Those who believe that Jesus is their Savior have the assurance of forgiveness for all sins and the eternal life that He earned for you. We can joyfully and confidently echo the words of St. Paul:

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:55-57

The victory Jesus accomplished is given to you through faith. May the joy that the Risen Christ brings fill your hearts! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! (Yes, I wrote and said that during Lent!)