Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from Psalm Sixty Eight verse Twenty, “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death,” (NRSVB). In this praise psalm of King David he celebrated the return of the ark of covenant that was brought back to the House of the Lord. The ark was captured and sojourned in many places before it finally was restored back to the its sacred place in the Tabernacle. Wherever the Ark of Covenant was received with awe and reverence, those who cared for it and respected it, according to the instructions of the laws of the Lord, were blessed. King David saw the Ark of Covenant as a gift of God that influenced in greater and greater circles the widening reign of God as the Messianic Kingdom would increasingly bless and save the world. It is only the God of the Living and the Dead who has the power to allow those who believe in him to escape from death. In the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul quoted from this Psalm and stated in Chapter Four verse Eight, “Therefore it is said, When Jesus ascended on high, He led captivity captive and He bestowed gifts on men,” (Amplified Bible). This is a beautiful image that Jesus captured all forms of captivity and vanquished these so that no-one would suffer the pain of being imprisoned by death and hell.
In the First Letter to the Thessalonians, in Chapter Four verse Fourteen, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Since we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, even so; through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have died,” (NRSVB). This is the Christian hope of redemption through Jesus Christ and of life-everlasting attained by Christ for all, so that they will rise with him in the last day, for Christ is Lord of the living and the dead. As we are contemplating on the final departure on these, the last days of the Church Calendar, we celebrate on Eternity Sunday those who have departed ahead of us. We can confidently stand on the promise of our Lord for us. “Jesus said to her: I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, although he may die, he shall live.” Jesus gave this promise to Martha, the sister of Lazarus as we read in the Gospel of John in Chapter Eleven verse Twenty Five. This promise is not only a promise that was realized in Lazarus’ resurrection from the death on earth, but also in his ultimate resurrection, from death unto eternal life. This promise is given to all believers and all those who mourn the passing of their loved ones. through Christ not even death has the final say, for as the Psalmist David wrote, “From the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” We have the blessed assurance that our Lord has conquered our captivity and has set the captives free.
Father, we thank you that you are the Lord of the living and the dead, and you will raise us up with you on the Day of Your coming, from glory unto glory. We pray that you will strengthen us to live life with hope and trust in your sovereign power, Amen.