Devotions
Too Good To Be True
- John 11:25 – Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life.
The Resurrection of Jesus is such an incredible and needed truth. As soon as a person breathes his or her last breath of earthly air it becomes obvious these bodies were short lived. When a person takes their last breath the body begins to cool. The potassium content from the breakdown of red blood cells enters the eyes and within a few minutes they look cloudy. After death, the body goes limp, but within 15 minutes to 15 hours the muscles begin to stiffen. Within 36 hours the body will return again to a limp condition. Immediately upon death, microorganisms that live in the body go to work and the body begins to deteriorate.
This process is deterred by the use of a product called formaldehyde. Now your probably saying alright preacher that’s a bit morbid and how do you know all of this anyway? Well, I watch CSI and CSI Miami. Crime Scene Investigation. Which by the way they don’t’ have in my family’s part of Kentucky – (no dental records to work with).
- We produce 8.1 billion pounds of formaldehyde annually
- It is the 24th most produced chemical in America today
What does that say to you? It tells me death is big business because we want to hang on to that which we can see with our own eyes, and touch with our own hands. For most of us, there have been times when it was so hard to let go. That’s why we need this story of resurrection. We need this story of hope. We need to know that tomorrow will be better than today – that heaven will be better than earth – that weeping will only last for the night because joy – real joy comes in the morning. (Can I have an Amen?)
Many people have concluded this story is just too nonsensical to be true. For others it’s too incredible to be true. Then there is a group for whom it’s too frightening to be true. And last but not least there are some for whom it’s just too good to be true. Well it is too good, and it is true. And I’m so thankful Jesus put death to death. Because what that means to me is, Death can take me – but it can’t keep me.
