John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:38-44
Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 16:33
Jesus Overcame Our World
33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
The Sting of Death
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:1-47
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia,Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17
“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19
I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Death has this sting to it...St. Paul writes about this sting...I wonder when death first became a fear of man's?...Was it that man became all alone after someone died, many many years ago -and we fear being alone?...Does some accept death or some not accept death?...Did the fear of death and death itself come into being, when man fell from grace in the Garden of Eden?...It is written that, "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law."...Did God give us this fear of death, or did we over time just come to learn to fear death?...Is it that we fear death, because we become removed from our loved ones?...Is the fear, because we do not understand death?...Is the fear of death, because we do not know what is on the other side of death?...Could it be we fear the grief, more than death?...Yet, death is regular and happens daily...I know many who read the daily obituaries...So they read about death each and everyday...There is not one family who has not been touched by death...And if we fear death so much, why do we daily read about it?...Death seems to be a part of life...
Jesus changes how we look at death...He has to change the way everyone looks at death, because He is alive...I say everyone, because even the non-believers must believe there is much mystery around Him, and especially His resurrection...And like this mystery around Him, there is this mystery around death...And I do not think, God made Jesus' life, then His death, and then His resurrection into just some great coincidence...God wants us to view death with a sense of mystery...
I believe when Jesus told Martha and Mary that He is the resurrection and the life, that He comforted them about their thoughts of brother's death...And then when He resurrected their brother Lazarus, their thoughts on death changed dramatically...I especially think Lazarus changed on he would have viewed death...Lazarus might have had two perspectives on his own death...One before he died...And now another view after he was alive again, after being dead for four days....
Could all this fear about death, be that we do not want to see those we love die and leave us ?...So could it be, fearing death is as much about love as it is about death?...When you love someone with all your heart, you are completely vulnerable...And death has this hold on that vulnerability in our lives and our loved ones lives...Death can take them away from us their being with us physically...But we still love them...Do you still not love the ones you have loved so much in the past, who have left you?...
Jesus overcame our world...Jesus is all about LOVE...And when He overcame our world, He overcame His own death...And we still love Him...Jesus' resurrection took some of the sting out of death for those who believe...I say some of the sting, because I still think some people have some fear of death...But because of Jesus, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”...Generally death is linked to negative thoughts and things...But many positive things happened after Jesus' death...First and foremost, He resurrected...He saved us from our sins...And He is alive...Jesus promised He would not leave us orphans...We have the Holy Spirit only after His death, when it came to the disciples on the Day of the Pentecost...The number of those who followed Jesus grew and grew after His death...Jesus is still working in many of His followers' lives even today...And Jesus is back with His Father...The place of heaven and His natural home...And to be with God is to be in heaven...