The Last Enemy

The Last Enemy

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

I Corinthians 15:26

To continue our meditation upon the Kingship of Christ as it respects His subduing of His enemies, we arrive at our text for today. ‘The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.’ Christ is even now going forth, ‘conquering and to conquer.’ His Kingdom has been advancing, is now advancing, and shall continue to advance until ‘every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.’ The Apostle Paul, as he wrote ‘The Resurrection Chapter,’ from which our text for today derives, made a bold statement regarding Christ’s Victory over death. He calls it ‘the last enemy that will be destroyed.’ How is this so? Within the context of the passage, Paul is speaking regarding the fact of the resurrection of the dead. He ultimately arrives at the climax of the passage where he declares, ‘So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Here is the place where the Kingship of Christ comes into play. Christ is steadily advancing toward the ultimate goal of subduing all of His and our enemies. He is the King Who will finally succeed in all that He attempts. This guarantees His complete victory over death. We are the direct beneficiaries of His Victory. This brings home the power of His statement in John 11, ‘Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die….”’ The specter of death has plagued us since the fall of man. Christ is the Only One Who can and does have the final victory over death. He defeats this last enemy, and we are victorious by His victory.

Our Great and Conquering King,
we rejoice that You will defeat all of Your enemies.
We look forward unto the day,
when with Your Victory, death finally dies.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning