Destroy Death Forever
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
First Week of Advent
Isaiah 25:7-10
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever … The Hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
Death holds us all in its gaze; it isn’t going anywhere. We will meet death once, each of us.
We do what we can to direct our eyes elsewhere, for as long as we can. Occasionally we are brought up short, by someone else’s death, by a close shave of our own, or by ruminations on life after death. Heaven. Hell. Is there anyone out there? Is there something or someplace that comes next?
Christians comfort each other with words from the Bible, and especially from the testimony of Jesus, who died and then returned to life. We are promised that same path, through death and into new life. And we believe this is not a metaphor or word picture, but literally true.
The story begins with the birth of Jesus. He can’t be reborn unless he dies, and he can’t die unless he’s born. So we celebrate his birth first of all. This is the first act of the play God describes for Isaiah, in which at long last death is destroyed forever. The veil is ripped in half. Our vision is no longer clouded, but we can all see clearly. Look, we shout to each other. The hand of the Lord is resting on this mountain!
Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.
Lord, you are my shepherd. I shall not want. You make me lie down in green pastures; you walk with me beside still waters. You wipe away all our tears, you anoint my head with oil, and you restore my soul.
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1398
