(This post is a response to the sudden death of Meagan Jones, Junior at Bryan College)
One of the most brilliant and effective strategies of combat has always been this: Take the ultimate weapon of the enemy and turn it upon them.
It's modeled in many movies and popular stories of warfare and struggle... that incredible moment that when all seems lost, the hero finds a way to take an enemy's greatest advantage and use it to destroy them. The Death Star becomes the death of the Empire... the One Ring is dropped into Mount Doom, and Mordor's armies are wiped out.
Let's take a glimpse into another story of good vs. evil. The setting is a picturesque land, filled with beautiful scenery. There are no threats or danger, and the residents are free to live in harmony with the land, and with the One who brought this perfect land into being. In fact, the inhabitants are so special to their maker that He made them to act and think like Him, though still limited, lacking His infinite power and might. All is right and good.
But soon, we sense something is about to go wrong. A devious figure who just doesn't seem right approaches two of the inhabitants, and carries out a plan of deceit. He convinces these inhabitants to commit the one act that their Maker knows will throw all of the goodness of the land into turmoil. Not realizing the gravity of their actions, they forsake instruction and in doing so, the enemy strikes a swift and crushing blow! You see, this devious figure turns out to be no one else than the leader of all evil, whose only desire is to draw the inhabitants of the land away from their Maker, to become greater than the maker, and to bring all of humanity to death and destruction.
You see, death is his one weapon. His deception allowed him to silence every single person who ever lived with suffering and pain, all concluding in death. There was no stopping it... humankind was powerless against it. It was that moment in every good story in which you think all is lost.
But like only the most memorable and meaningful of stories, RESCUE COMES. And like the best stories, it comes in the most unexpected way. A man like all the rest begins speaking of life. Many miss the point he tries to make, but a select few begin to realize just who he actually is. Rumors spread that this man was promised by the Maker... promised as one who would save all of humankind! However, the enemy - still wielding the dagger of death - brought him down. His fellow man conspired against him as the enemy had planned. The hero was tricked, snared, beat down, and hung up to die... or so everyone thought.
No one knows what exactly happened those next few days. Some say the hero traveled to the enemy's prison and released those who had been chained in eternal death. Some say he simply slept, others think he was with the Maker. But while all mankind sat in the sorrow and hopelessness that they had always known, and as the enemy watched with satisfaction at his apparent victory...
The earth shook VIOLENTLY, and the tomb - the one that held the one called Jesus - SPLIT WIDE OPEN.
For the first time ever, death was countered. The "unbeatable" weapon of the enemy was beaten. But it was not merely defeated. No, death itself had produced life! The death of mankind's Savior only brought Him back as one never to be touched by death. And in Christ's great act of salvation, the death that bound all men was now what brought life... not just any life, but life as the Maker had first intended. The weapon of the enemy was turned against its owner, and now every use of death upon those who clung to the Maker yielded full, unbreakable life.
There are some who may look on Meagan's death as a complete and utter tragedy. Indeed it is tragic for one so young and so loved by her friends and family to suddenly become absent among them. Though we know death comes to all, we do not expect it so soon. But for those of us who know this story, for those of us who know how true it is... Meagan's death is not death at all. We know that Meagan knew this story too, and that she held to it in complete faith. We know that just as the grave could not hold our Savior, it has no hold on her. Death, where is thy sting? Thanks be to God, Meagan feels no more pain after you. Death, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, Meagan has experienced the greatest of victories after you. Thanks be to God.
Brian
