Stingless Death

Introduction

It was a sunny and warm Spring afternoon. . .

ILLUST - bee sting story.

It was a pain like I hadn’t felt before

It made my eyes water

Maybe you can relate

Death can sting.

Following his teaching on the surety of the resurrection of Jesus, Paul describes the implications of Jesus’ resurrection for the believer:

1 Corinthians 15:51–55 (ESV)

51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Some of you may feel you have an answer to that last question.

Where is the sting of death? Right here! It hurts. It’s true:

Death can sting.

it can hurt.

We don’t always know when.

Doesn’t feel right because it isn’t. It is a result of sin.

But this is not how Paul meant to ask this question. In fact, in light of the reality of the resurrection, Paul asks the question almost mockingly.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

There are two types of bee stings: serious and simply painful.

The difference between the two has nothing to do with the sting and everything to with the person.

A bee sting will affect people differently based on whether or not they are allergic to the sting.

Similarly, there are two types of death: serious and simply painful.

And similarly, the difference has nothing to do with the reality of death — it affects us all. The difference is whether or not a person has trusted in Jesus to keep them from the full destructive power of death.

Without Jesus in your life, the sting of death is serious.

if you have never committed your life to Jesus, then for you death is SERIOUS.

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV)

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

ILLUST - Don’t know if any of you are allergic to bee stings - I received ?? epipens - almost as bad as the sting!

But this is nothing compared to the reality if there were no epipens to counteract the sting — it can be serious!

1 Corinthians 15:56 (ESV)

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

We all feel the pain of the sting because sin has entered the world. Through Adam, we have all inherited a sin nature and the consequences of our sin nature and the sin we have committed is eternal death. It is serious!

For the believer, the sting of death is only temporary.

Like Bob, if you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior then death is simply painful. I say “simply” in relation to the other possibility and not as a way to minimize the pain we feel when someone dies.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (ESV)

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

ILLUST - while lifeguarding I stepped on a lot of bees - they were simply painful and got less painful as the summer wore on.

While death may be painful for those who have put their trust in Jesus,

1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through Jesus, the seriousness of death is removed and the sting is temporary.

Do you fear the sting of death?

Then today is the day to trust Christ. Don’t leave today not knowing what will happen at the end of your life.

Richard DeHaan, a marvelous Bible teacher and radio preacher, had two sons: Richard and Marvin. One day they were playing in an orchard near several bee hives. They irritated the bees, and one made straight for Richard’s head and zapped him. The other boy began to cry and scream as the bee darted for him. DeHaan explained that the bee had only one stinger and Richard, unfortunately, had received it. The bee could buzz Marvin but it could not sting him. It had lost its power to sting. Paul wrote, “Where, death, is your sting? . . . But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1Co 15:55,57). The judgment of God does not fall on those whose trust is in the Lord, who takes the sting of eternal death.

CSB Bibles by Holman. CSB Pastor's Bible . B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.