The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

Introduction

Sammy and Jane, very few can truly understand exactly what you are going through today and the days to come. All parents know that the loss of a child is simply devastating.

And yet, as terrible as this loss is, as Christians, we are as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8, “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.” Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-4 that “according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” This is not some religious pipe dream. This is truly our living hope.

So what makes this living hope real for us? 1 Corinthians 15 has one dramatic answer for us: “Christ has defeated death forever through His resurrection,” and verses 56-57 summarize this answer well.

Sin: The Sting of Death

First, the sting of death is sin. Before sin entered the world, there was no suffering and no death. There was no such thing as tragic accidents and deadly diseases. But since the advent of sin, the rebellion of all people to choose their own way rather than trust in God’s provisions, death and everything that leads to death came into being.

So death and all of the grieving and the mourning and the sorrow and the loss and the painful goodbyes and the suffering that is a consequence of death has since inhabited our world. There is no sting, no pain, like the pain of death. And the reality is that all of us will eventually face this very sting.

The Law: The Power of Sin

Second, not only is there the sting of death, but there is also the power of sin as brought to bear by the law. The law is not evil itself. After all, God gave the law. But the law reveals to us that sin is ultimately against God and deserves full judgment and condemnation. The law also is deadly in that we can believe we can keep the law, and therefore be overrun by pride. In other words, not only does sin result in death, but the law also condemns us rightly before God. And the more we try to keep the law as our means of salvation, the more we will become self-righteous, believing our good works save us, and the more we will fail to see ourselves in need of salvation. And so the law has the power to condemn sinners to judgment and the power to keep sinners from even recognizing their own sin and their need for a Savior.

Thanks: In Christ

There is no hope in this condition because there is literally nothing we can do about this situation. But this is where Paul resounds with his living hope in verse 57: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In a condition where we are literally helpless to save ourselves, where even our best efforts are so often riddled with self-righteousness, and where eternal life with the Father is impossible because of the crushing weight of sin and its separation before us and a perfectly Holy God, we needed a Savior. We needed salvation because we would never be good enough, or intelligent enough, or innocent enough, or moral enough before a holy and righteous God. God did not save us because we were good enough for Him. In fact, it’s while we were still sinners, Christ did for us. God saved us simply because it was His pleasure and delight to do so and it was for His own glory.

And this is exactly why Paul gives such joyous thanks to Jesus Christ. Jesus’ finished work on the cross makes eternal life with joy a possibility. And so, today is not Luther’s last day of existence. We are not here mourning as those who have no hope. Though we are perplexed, we are not driven to despair. Luther is truly being welcomed home into the arms of Jesus and we have to give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ in making this possible. And so, in view of this text, may I share what Luther has taught me…

What Luther Taught Me About God and the Gospel

1. Luther Taught Me About the Sting of Death

As I visited Luther in the hospital these past weeks, I can say that he taught me much about our Savior and he exposited this verse for me through his life. Luther’s life taught me that the sting of death is sin. Obviously, there was no overt sin that Luther committed that would lead to his death. And yet, Luther reminded me that we live in a broken world, a sinful world that still bears the marks of suffering and death. The doctors did all that they could. But their best efforts could not keep suffering and death away. And to watch Luther, that little precious baby boy, whose head and hands and feet and body were as cute as any baby, with all of the tubes connected to machines, was simply not how it should be for a baby. Looking at Luther was a picture of the terrible sting of death and the power of sin in a broken world.

2. Luther Taught Me About the Power of the Law

Luther also taught me about the power of the law. The law was given to reveal sin. But here was a baby. He did not follow the law, and he did not break the law. He was not self-righteous as we are, trying to prove ourselves before others. He didn’t try to maintain his reputation. But the Bible teaches us that even babies are sinful because Ephesians 2:3 tells us that we were all by nature children deserving of God’s wrath, and that includes babies. That’s how expansive and corrosive sin is, and even an innocent baby does not escape the power of sin.

3. Luther Taught Me About Jesus Christ

But Luther taught me much about our Savior Jesus Christ. Luther is not home with Jesus because he is innocent of sin, and undeserving of condemnation. No, Luther is safe because like those who trust in Christ, he too has been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb and his 5 weeks of life are not a waste because His life was bought with a costly price, the price of God’s own Son. Paul tells us in Romans 1:18-21 that those who are able to experience life have no excuse because they have God’s common grace. But babies who die in infancy actually have an excuse and it God’s grace through His Son covers such children.

4. Luther Taught Me About Eternity

Again, we might consider that Luther only lived for five weeks. We might wonder, “God, why did he die so young?” But if we have our hearts truly set on eternity, then we know that not only will he be with the Lord forever, but one day when we also will join Luther in heaven, the length of our lives lived in the context of eternity will be virtually be indistinguishable. This is why Luther teaches me to live with all my might for the glory of God while I live. We must not waste our time in this world because it truly is a vanishing mist.

5. Luther Taught Me About Joy in the Midst of Mourning

It is right to grieve and mourn. In fact, we must do so because we suffer alongside Sammy and Jane as the church. But Paul makes it clear in 1 Thess 4:13-14 that we do ‘not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again.” While I grieve for the pain that Sammy and Jane feel, I do not grieve for Luther. Jesus died to defeat not only death, but all of its consequences. There are truly no more tears or pain for Luther, never again. There are no doctors and funeral homes and cemeteries and life insurance policies where Luther is. Paul says in Phil 1:23 that it is better to be with Christ than to be here. And for Luther, as John Piper describes in death of an infant that he ‘is happier today than the happiest person on earth has ever been.’

God watched His Son suffer and died so that Luther Yang would be adopted as God’s son. And he truly is happier than the happiest person who ever lived. Sammy and Jane, today you are grieving his loss in your hearts. But one day, you will be standing alongside your son worshipping God’s Son in an unmatchable, eternal joy. And so, may we give thanks to our God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.