Death Could Not Hold Him

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Scripture: Acts 2:22-24 (ESV)

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Devotion:

            There is an old saying that there are two things that are inevitable, death and taxes. Well taxes may be in fact inevitable Jesus it seems approved of taxes. (See Mark 12:12-14 and Matthew 17:24-27). He seems to have held that taxes were a part of life. In fact, he called Matthew a tax collector to be one of his inner circle. But what about death?

            Jesus had a different attitude toward death. Unlike us who accept death as a natural part of life. Jesus always held an attitude toward death as an enemy. He seemed unwilling to grant death the final word. Jesus in fact brought back to life several dead people as part of his ministry. Although it is true that these resuscitations always ended in eventual death of the person raised, they were testimony to the fact that Jesus was no fan of death. And held power over death. In fact, we see in John 11 the pain and indeed anger that Jesus had toward death as he raised his friend Lazarus from the grave. It is no wonder then that Jesus could not be held by his own grave.

            As Peter is preaching in today’s scripture death had no hold on him. As the popular Easter hymn goes “Up from the grave he arose” no more to die. But why you may ask did death have no hold on him and how am I to believe that his death and resurrection free me from the fear of death.

            First Jesus could not be held by death because he never sinned. The scripture teaches plainly that the wages of sin is death. Jesus having lived a perfect sinless life never gave sin a foothold on his life. He rose because of his sinless perfection that he lived throughout his life. We, however, are sinful creatures how can we be assured of eternal life with God?

            Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross. He suffered once for all mankind and became sin for us on the bloody cross, so that he could open a way for us into heaven. Just as God raised Jesus from the tomb that first Easter morning, we can be assured that we will one day be raised to join him in heaven. Satan has been crushed under the feet of Jesus, just as Adam and Eve were assured would happen in the Garden of Eden millennia before.

            God had planned the whole thing. Knowing that we would need total redemption from the curse of sin. God is on the throne; praise be to God.

            Thank you, God, that you have blessed us with eternal life through your son Jesus. We sing songs of celebration that you are almighty on the throne in heaven waiting for us to join you there, We give you all praise and honor that is due your glorious name. We celebrate our newfound life in you. Praise the Lord. Amen

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