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Triumph over Death

Christ’s victory over death

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

—John 12:24

The parable above is the parable of the grain of wheat. This is one of the many predictions on the impending crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to live as a man and die for the sins of the people. As the human manifestation of God, Jesus Christ was to experience what the people feared the most—death. But God made a promise that Jesus shall return from the grave and triumph over death.

Death and Resurrection

Death is a symbolic figure of sin. According to Fr. John Hardon, the presence of death is the result of sin. Its origin goes way back to Adam and Eve and their fall from the Garden of Eden. Death is the punishment for the sin they committed.

To save the people from sin, Christ faced His death, just as the seed is to die to be able to sprout.

As the seed which is put into the ground

To sprout and grow has to first die

These are the first lines of the poem titled “Christ has Risen” from the inspiring Christian poetry collection, The Mystery of My Soul. Mirroring the parable of the grain of wheat, the seed (in the form of Jesus Christ) must first face death to be able to grow the seedling of faith and belief in the hearts of the people.

On the day of Easter, three days after His death, Jesus came back to life.

Christ from the grave has risen;

Triumphantly He overcame death.

Thus, He has taken you out of your prison

And put in you His holy breath.

Jesus Christ’s triumph over death is the resurrection. He has risen from the grave and lives forevermore. Jesus Christ, the seed, died and was buried in Jerusalem, but the seedling of faith grows in the hearts and mind of the people. The empty tomb in Jerusalem is the chief proof of Christian faith.

By His death, Jesus destroyed

The sting of death and the power of the grave.

By His resurrection, He brought us the joy

Of the victory of His Word that makes us saved.

Before the Messiah came, people had lived their lives with sin. Every soul in purgatory before His fateful coming waited for the judgment day. Upon His resurrection, the souls were freed and the people are then able to live freely. The believers were purged from their sins and are able to enter the kingdom of God.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was an immense foundation of Christina faith. Since the beginning of time, people feared their mortality. However, the resurrection is a strong proof that people can live even after death if they believe.

What do you think of Christ’s triumph over death? Do share them in the comment box below. You can also share them with me through Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Read more inspiring poems in my published collection, The Mystery of My Soul.

References

Goins, Doug. “The Victory Over Death.” Peninsula Bible Church. Accessed July 30, 2018. https://www.pbc.org/files/584509089ad2b149c6f68652/4539.html.

Hardon, John A., S. J., “The Meaning of Death and Triumph Over Death.” The Real Presence Association. Accessed July 30, 2018. http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Eschatology/Eschatology_001.htm.