2 Corinthians 4:13-14 “It is written: ‘I believed, therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe, and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.”

Our failure to appreciate the magnitude of the gift presents a major obstacle to our sharing the gospel with others. Many of us have known from childhood that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know that he is my Savior. That’s a wonderful gift from God. 

But we are also tempted to take it for granted when we have known it so long. Martin Luther said it this way: “When we hear that Christ has redeemed us with his blood, we are moved as much as a dunce is moved when he hears that a hen has laid an egg. ‘What kind of marvel is that?’ says he, ‘Indeed, that happens every day.’ There is also no joy, comfort, thanks or wonderment when people hear of Christ’s suffering. ‘Oh, that is nothing new! Who does not know that? I have known it well for a long time.’ And so the dear Christ, with his precious blood and his immeasurable works of wonder, must be considered a trifling matter.”

This very message we take for granted assures us that God forgives us and loves us in spite of our sin. That gives us something to say! Paul says, “We also believe, and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.” As Paul points out, you and I already know that the same God who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us, too. We know the reason people die is that God punishes sin with death and hell. We know that when Jesus died on the cross, he suffered the punishment for every human being, and every human sin. That means God no longer needs to punish us for our sins. Since Jesus took our sin out of the picture, death can no longer maintain its control over him or anyone else. God raised him to show that Jesus’ death on the cross really worked. That demonstrates to us that we are also going to rise from the dead to live with him forever. 

This means we are preparing for a great family reunion. Not only will we be raised, but God will “present us with you in his presence.” We will be reunited with him. We will also be reunited with every other believer. This includes those who died before us and those who will die after us. Our believing grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, children and grandchildren will join us with God to live forever.

You already knew this. But is that not amazing? Is it not worth saying? We know God’s secret to eternal life. Of all the problems people face, one problem confronts everyone without exception: death. People may not like to think about it, but no one gets around this reality. Some try to put it off with better health insurance, better doctors, better living habits, or better law enforcement, but there is only one effective solution. We know what that is. That gives us reason to speak. Everyone needs to hear what we have to say.