Craig Smith • Death • April 20, 2025

If a man dies, will he live again? (Job 14:14a)

Easter is the answer to Job’s question…

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” (Luke 24:1-7)

All of the Christian “

” are in the

Reveal Answer

basket – “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless…your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die.’” (1 Cor. 15:14, 17, 32b)

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:20)

The death and resurrection of Jesus opened the door to freedom to all…

• Free from the

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of

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– “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Heb. 2:14-15)

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:54)

• Free to

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in

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– “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)

• Free for a new

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in

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– “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations.” (Luke 24:46-47a)

• Free in

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forever – “But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13)

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)