The Pain Of Death

"God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,

"I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence." Acts 2:24-28

PANGS:
"Odin", a pang or throe, especially of childbirth; akin to "odyne" (grief) and "duno" (to go down"

The "pain" of death for Jesus was not loosened until God raised Him up. Thus, the pain that Jesus suffered, the deepest pain, was not from the crown of thorns, the beating and flogging...not even the crucifixion. All of these pains would be loosened when His heart and mind shut down, dropping His body into the numbness of death. But Peter says that God loosed the pain of death at the time of the resurrection. Even when Jesus slumped dead on the cross, and His Spirit had departed, the pain of death must have been excruiciating, else Peter would not have said that it was not loosed until the resurrection.

The pain of death for Jesus was spiritual. The tons of sin-weight and guilt on behalf of the world and the complete separation from His Father...this was the pain of death.

Not until God judged Jesus as innocent on the basis of His perfect sacrifice did Jesus experience release from the pain of death. Resurrection from death brought complete union with His Father and glorification as His Child.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? How is the pain of death the same, or different, for us?

"Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses." Acts 2:29-32

David was not the Christ, but God granted David to be a prophet, warning and encouraging the people of Israel, and us, about the Christ.

Peter was confident that David was dead and buried, not resurrected from death. He was confident that Davids tomb could be opened and Davids bones could be seen and touched.

David spoke on behalf of the Christ, praising God that His sacrifice for sin would be accepted, and He would be resurrected to glory and intimacy with God.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? When David died, when we die, our body remains in the tomb or the grave. What biblical basis is there for our bodies to experience resurrection?

THE LORD AND MY LORD

"Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

"The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." Acts 2:33-35

LORD:
"Kyrios", supreme in authority, controller, Mr. (as a respectful title); from "kuros" (supremacy)

David, speaking prophetically, called God Almighty, "Lord", and used the same word for the Christ.

"Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Acts 2:36

CHRIST:
"Christos", anointed, the Messiah; from "chrio" (to smear or rub with oil, to consecrate); akin to "chraomai" (to furnish what is needed, to touch lightly)

WHAT DO YOU THINK? How can you see the two different aspects of Jesus, Lord and Christ, affecting a typical day of your life?

Image courtesy of www.sxc.hu/profile/bebobebo