More Than a Meeting on a Road
I attended a funeral recently during which I heard the man speaking say something that I don’t remember ever hearing before. What he said may or may not have been original with him, but it was for me.
I’d read the passage of scripture about which he made the comment numerous times. I’ve referred to it and commented on it in sermons, classes, etc. I knew the truth of what this man said. I’d just never heard it expressed in the way that he expressed it.
The statement was made about the events recorded in Luke 7:11-17. As you may remember, the Lord and His disciples were approaching a city by the name of Nain. As they did so, they met a funeral procession coming out of the city. A young man had died. He was the only child of his widowed mother. As you probably recall, Jesus brought the young man back to life.
The comment made by the man at the funeral I attended the other day was this:
Life and death met on a road and life won.
In that one short statement, the man who was speaking summarized the events of that memorable day. It could be said that he did much more than that. In some ways he summarized the entire Bible.
You may remember that, as the apostle John begins his gospel account, he equates life, light, and Jesus. You may want to read John 1:1-4, 14 to remind yourself of this connection.
You may also remember that, in this same context, John records something that has been translated in a couple of different ways. In some translations, John 1:15 is translated in such a way as to state that darkness cannot/did not “comprehend” or “grasp” light. In other translations, the meaning is that darkness cannot/did not “overcome,” or “extinguish” light.
I am, in no way, an expert when it comes to the Greek language. Since that is the case, I am unqualified to be dogmatic about how that particular verse should be translated or understood. In my mind, there is not that much of a discrepancy among all of those words above. I will leave that for others to decide.
What I would like to suggest, though, is that there is a pattern that runs throughout the Bible. The pattern may be difficult to see at times and may take a long time to develop. In fact, the entire picture may not become clear in this life. That pattern is that the things of God, the will of God, and the people of God will prevail.
Ultimately, life will win over death, truth will win over error, and faith will win over doubt. The reason for all of that is that God has already won over Satan. An old rugged cross and an empty tomb prove that. Like an athletic contest with a lopsided score and little time left on the clock, the game is over; the time just hasn’t run out yet.
But thanks be to God , who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57, ESV)
Receive all our articles for free:
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
