A story is told about Sin and Death. On the Friday night after Jesus was
crucified, Sin came running into the garden where the body of Jesus had been
laid in the tomb. Sin cried out, "Death, do you really have Him?"
Death
called back from within the tomb, "Yes, Sin, I really have Him. I've got my hand
on Him. My shroud is around His body." Sin left.
On Saturday night, Sin
went back to the garden and called out to Death inside the tomb, "Do you still
have Him? The word is out that He's going to rise again after three days." Death
replied, "Go home. I've got it under control. My hands are on Him, and the
stone's in place. He's not going anywhere!"
Sin left, but the next day he
was back. He found the stone rolled away and Death sitting in the tomb, his head
in his hands. "What happened?" Sin asked. "Where is He?" Death said, "Something
began to move around in that tomb. Suddenly that stone catapulted from the door,
the angels of God filled the space, and Jesus shook me off and rose up out of
that shroud, whole, well, and alive!"
"Did He say anything?" Sin
asked.
"Just one thing," Death answered. "He said, 'Tell your good friend
Sin that you're both conquered.'"
When this corruptible shall have put
on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O
death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (I Corinthians
15:54-55).
Because Jesus arose victorious over the grave, sin and death are powerless over
me when I give my life to Him.