Have you ever been stung by a bee? Although a bee sting hurts, it’s not dangerous to most people. But for people who are allergic to bees, the sting can make them very, very sick. Imagine that a scientist could make a bee that didn’t have a sting. Then these bees without stings would no longer be dangerous. They would be disarmed bees.

Paul tells us that death has a sting. What does he mean by this?

The sting of death that Paul speaks about is sin. It is sin that gives death its power. It is because of sin that we die. If we had never sinned there would be no death. And how do we know about sin? From the law of the Lord. So our sin and the law are the two things that give death its power and sting.

But Christ has come to deal with these two things that give death its power and sting. The first is sin. Christ never sinned, but he paid for our sins. The other thing is God’s law. Christ obeyed this law perfectly. So death has lost both its sting and power. Just like a bee without a sting would no longer be harmful, so death without its sting is no longer our enemy.

We do not need to fear death. Through the Lord Jesus Christ we now have victory over death. Oh yes, unless Christ comes back earlier, we will still die one day, but our death will be the beginning of our eternal life with God.

Paul then tells us that because death is no longer our enemy, we need to continue to do our work for the Lord. This means that you need to be focused on the Lord as you do your activities throughout the day. If you are at school, at home, playing with friends, helping your parents, visiting your grandparents, or talking to your neighbours about the Lord, the work you are doing is not a waste of time but a way that you can serve the Lord.

Reflection with your child:

What does it mean to you that death has lost its sting?

Source: Sermon by Dr. J. Smith