Hope in the Face of Death

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Psalm 16:9-11
Psalters: 262, 92, 198, 28
  1. The anticipated joy.
    1. In this life, it is certain that we all will die (“it is appointed unto men once to die,” Heb. 9:27).
      1. This is true though we do not know the day and hour God has appointed for that moment to come.
      2. What is death?
    2.  Over against all this fear and sorrow, David speaks with great joy.
      1. David is filled with hope and even rejoices, expressing greatest confidence and assurance of triumphing over it.
      2. David speaks of his body resting, which with “hell” (our graves) refers to our bodies resting in our graves.
      3. Further, David declares that God will not allow His Holy One to see corruption.
  2. Our joy is also that during our lives here on this earth, we now have the experience of eternal life. Have to learn to think this way.
    1. With the life of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us, we have the beginning of eternal joy.
      1. The resurrection is something that we experience now. It is the fullness of joy and life in the present.
      2. Now we know in part, so much so that we already have the privilege of sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6).
    2. Unbelief cannot put death and joy together, so they speak of eating and drinking today, and tomorrow we will die.
  3. The foundation of the Christian’s hope and joy is Jesus and His resurrection.
    1. The Son of David conquered death and the grave by His commending His Spirit to God and by His bodily resurrection.
      1. Peter tells us in Acts 2:29-32 that these words are prophetic of Jesus’ resurrection.
      2. And thus these are David’s words, and ours.
      3. Jesus is risen as the first fruits. If Christ is not risen, then no one else can be raised and we are yet in our sins.
    2. Jesus and we conclude with the knowledge of triumphant victory in heaven.