September 21.
An Unlikely Friend

1 Corinthian 15:3-4

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

He died and He was buried. They wanted to put him in the grave. Why did Jesus have to be buried? 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. In other words, Jesus was not just serving as a sleep, he was also serving as a seed. When you get ready to plant something you sow a seed, but you don’t sow a seed for the seed to stay there. You sow the seed because you have another purpose in mind for the seed. You expect a harvest one day. Someday we will die just as Jesus died. Your death is like a seed buried in the ground with dirt all over, but it isn’t the end of you.

Some people think that when you’re dead you’re done. That may be for some people, but when you’re saved death is merely sleep. Do you walk in the room where your baby is asleep and fall to pieces? When was the last time you saw your Momma taking a nap and you came apart? No, you don’t do it because she’s just asleep. When a person dies in the Lord, they are just asleep. Jesus was buried to let us know that the grave is not your enemy. The grave is a saved person’s friend.

Jesus died without putting up a fight. He could have whipped anybody around. Since He had enough power to create heaven and earth, He could certainly handle a few little Roman soldiers. He could have easily taken care of Pilate and the other fellows. If it had been me they were nailing to the cross and spitting in my face and I knew I had all power in my hand, I would have come down off the cross and whipped them all up real good and showed them how bad I am. But when you know what you know and when you know Who you know, you don’t have to prove anything to anybody. Death is the saved person’s friend.