Death Destroyed by Jesus Christ
by C. H. SPURGEON

The last enemy that will be abolished is death (1 Corinthians 15:26).

"Death has no pity for the young and no mercy for the old; he pays no regard to the good or to the beautiful. His scythe cuts down sweet flowers and noxious weeds with equal readiness," wrote C. H. Spurgeon. "He comes into our garden, tramples down our lilies and scatters our roses on the ground . . .

But let us remember that death is an enemy to be destroyed. Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ has already wrought a great victory upon death, so that He has delivered us from lifelong bondage through its fear. . . He has "abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Our Lord has subdued death in the very worst sense by having delivered His people form spiritual death. "And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins."  Once you had no divine life whatever, but the death of original depravity remained upon you, and so you were dead to all divine and spiritual things; but now, beloved, the Spirit of God, even He that raised up Jesus Christ form the dead, has raised you up into newness of life, and you have become new creatures in Christ Jesus. In this sense death has been subdued.

Our Lord in His lifetime also conquered death by restoring certain individuals to life. . . .

The real triumph was achieved upon the cross. . . . When Christ died He suffered the penalty of death on the behalf of all His people, and therefore no believer now dies by ways of punishment for sin, since we cannot dream that a righteous God would twice exact the penalty for one offence. . .

Further, Christ vanquished death and thoroughly overcame him when He rose. . . When our great Champion awoke from His brief sleep of death and found Himself in the withdrawing-room of the grave, He quietly proceeded to put off the garments of the tomb. How leisurely He proceeded! . . . He stepped out more than a conqueror. Death had fled. The grave had capitulated.

Well, brethren, as surely as Christ rose, so did He guarantee as an absolute certainty the resurrection of all His saints into a glorious life for their bodies, the life of their souls never having paused even for a moment. He conquered death . . . 

. . . At the coming of Christ, those who are alive and remain shall not see death. They shall be changed; there must be a change even to those who are then living before they can inherit eternal life, but they shall not actually die. . . .

The resurrection is the destruction of death. "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" . . . "Because I live," says Christ, "you shall live also."

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, and if the last be slain there can be no future foe. The battle is fought and the victory is won for ever. And who has won it? who but the Lamb that sits on the throne, to whom let us all ascribe honor, and glory, and majesty, and power, and dominion, and might, for ever and ever. The Lord help us in our solemn adoration. Amen (Christ's Glorious Achievements, pp. 94-112).

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).