“As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)
Trent jerked up into a sitting position, suddenly wide awake. His heart pounded, and he was breathing hard and fast as if he had been running. “It was just a bad dream,” he told himself, rubbing his eyes. “Just another dream.”
Ever since his grandfather’s funeral last week, Trent had had a bad dream almost every night. He would wake up thinking about Grandpa lying so still and silent in that big box. He would think about the quiet cemetery where they had buried the big box in the ground. And then he would start to get scared. What if his mom or his dad died too? What if he died? What would it be like?
Have you ever felt like Trent? The Bible tells us that the fear of death is something all humans have in common. But the Bible also says that we do not have to be slaves to this fear.
Would you be afraid of something that had no power to hurt you–like a dead leaf or a falling snowflake? Of course not. Did you know that Jesus Christ has made death just as powerless as these things for the Christian? Hebrews 2 tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, He destroyed the power of death. He destroyed Satan’s ability to keep us living in the fear of death all of our lives. He died to deliver us, not only from slavery to sin, but also from slavery to fear.
To those who do not know Jesus as their Savior, death is an uncertain and frightening thing. But Jesus promised that whoever believes on Him as He has commanded will not see death (John 8:51). The believer’s body will die, but his soul, the unseen part of him that thinks and feels, will go to be with Jesus forever.
If you have believed on Jesus Christ, He is your Savior. He died that you might be able to live forever with Him. Even though we don’t understand exactly what death is like, we who know Jesus do not need to be afraid of it. He has conquered death for us forever.
Jesus Christ has conquered death, and Christians do not need to fear it.
My Response:
» Has Jesus saved me from my sin and given me eternal life?
» If He has, am I thanking Him every day?
» Am I living with peace and hope in my heart instead of fear?