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The Vanishing Power of Death: Lessons from the Life of Jesus

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We as humans are naturally fearful of death. We see it every day. We see people dying due to crime, war, disease, and old age. We see it in all its flashy colours on the television screen each night as the reporters give us their big, toothy smiles. Deep inside we keep asking ourselves... what about us? when will we pass away? what will be after we die? For those of us who are Christians, we ourselves get fearful of that final enemy that lurks in the shadows of our future...sooner or later. Yet Mr. Lutzer reminds us that we should not fear, that if we hold unto the truths that are founded upon Biblical Truths, ie. the literal understanding of the Bible, we will then have no need to fear death. As Paul says, where is Death's sting? Why? Because Jesus Christ conquered death on the cross and through the empty tomb. Jesus conquered Death and Hades themselves by the power of God Himself, through Christ who is of God and is God, the I AM, and thus to those who trust in Christ and believe in Christ and place our faith in Christ, as Lutzer speaks of, we will not fear death because death is not the end, but through the love and grace and holiness of God, we who are Christians who believe in the literal truth of Christ will have eternity with our Lord and Savior and King.

Still, we Christian humans keep forgetting to have an eternal point of view instead of a finite point of view. This is easy to do because though we have been forgiven, we do sucumb to the devil's temptations to have fear in our hearts. We shouldn't but sometimes all of us do. We must then, even in our weakness, as Lutzer speaks of, place our faith fully on Christ. Through Christ we will have a hand reaching to us, bringing us from the darkness of this sin stained world that even now groans for the final redemption of God at the end of days, and lifts us out of the darkness and into the light.

What is the difference between being brought back to life after one has died and to be resurrected from the dead? Resuscitation not in the sense that the body has just quit functioning recently but in the sense that the body has stop working and is dead for matter of days or longer. What is the significance of the Resurrection of Jesus? What is the significance of the resurrection of believers and the damnation of unbelievers? That there is only one way to get salvation from God's wrath, one way to receive forgiveness, and only way to receive Eternal Life. To have a resuscitated life is to face death again to have eternal life is to be free damnation and the consequences of sin. The Power of Death has only been reduced to those who repent and believe. Lutzer books about Satan, Miracles and the Divinci Code are better books but this one is a good read.

*** Death is often called the last enemy; yet if you know Christ, He has defeated that enemy and turned it to a friend. It was this truth that gave the early martyrs the strength to face death for the sake of faith, and this promise that makes funerals an issue of personal sorrow at a temporary separation rather than a final goodbye and agony at never seeing the loved one again. This book illustrates all of what death means to a Christian. Whether you are mourning someone or facing death yourself, this book clarifies the issue in a point blank, straight from the hip fashion. In the end, you will agree with Gandalf that death is not the end, but a beginning, and perhaps not "so bad" as Pippin agreed in Return of the King. ***

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.