Death is our great, inescapable enemy, for we are all destined to die and then face judgment (see Ecclesiastes 7:2; Hebrews 9:27). And we were without hope, that is, until Easter morning. In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef reveals the only solution to the problem of death.
If you would like more insight into today’s devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon Jesus Rose from the Dead . . . So What?: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
[00:00:00] You are listening to MY Devotional, the Daily Devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading The Way.
[00:00:07] Defeating death once and for all by Dr. Michael Youssef. Death is our great, inescapable enemy
[00:00:18] for we are all destined to die and then face judgment. And we were without hope that is until
[00:00:25] Easter morning. Since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, men and women
[00:00:30] have stood helplessly before death not knowing what to do. We are powerless before it.
[00:00:35] Death comes, death takes, we cannot stop it. Throughout history different cultures
[00:00:41] have tried to cope with death in a variety of ways. For example, my ancestors, the ancient
[00:00:47] Egyptians, tried to preserve their bodies by mummifying them. They placed gold and other
[00:00:52] prized possessions in their tombs hoping that one day the soul of the deceased would come
[00:00:57] back to their body. But the only people who came back were the robbers who stole the gold
[00:01:03] and sold the artifacts. Others in Asia came up with a theory called reincarnation. If
[00:01:09] you live a good life, you can come back as a higher being. If you don't live a good
[00:01:14] life, you come back as a cockroach. It's a great deterrent, but it's a hoax. All of this
[00:01:21] hoaxes focus is mankind's attempt to deal with death. But their efforts are ineffective
[00:01:26] and ultimately irrelevant. God has already provided a way to overcome death and the grave,
[00:01:32] and his name is Jesus. When Jesus healed the sick in the lame, he was giving people a glimpse
[00:01:39] of his kingdom, a kingdom with no brokenness, pain or suffering. When he raised people
[00:01:44] from the dead, he was demonstrating his divine authority over all creation, even death.
[00:01:50] And when he died on the cross and rose again, he ushered in the new covenant of his blood
[00:01:56] by which we can enter the most holy place as children of God. It is just as Jesus revealed
[00:02:03] to Martha before raising Lazarus and John chapter 11, 25 through 26. I am the resurrection
[00:02:10] and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever
[00:02:15] lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?
[00:02:22] If you trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Bible says that you have been raised
[00:02:26] with Christ, meaning that you have been given new life here and now. But it also means
[00:02:33] just like Christ, you will rise from the grave, never to die again. Let's pray together.
[00:02:40] Jesus, thank you for the promise of eternal life in glory with you. Help us to face death
[00:02:47] with a great faith so that we too can say, death where is your sting? We pray this in
[00:02:53] the name of Jesus. Amen.
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[00:03:07] of leading the way with Dr. Michael Yusuf. To learn more, visit LTW.org today.