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哥林多前书15:54-57: 54这必朽坏的既变成不朽坏的，这必死的既变成不死的，那时经上所记“死被得胜吞灭”的话就应验了。55“死啊，你得胜的权势在那里？死啊，你的毒钩在那里？”56死的毒钩就是罪，罪的权势就是律法。57感谢神，使我们藉着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。

死的毒钩就是罪。我希望不论是谁为我的葬礼证道，都不要说我有多了不起。但那似乎是很多葬礼布道的主题。即使死去的是一个邪恶的人，人们在葬礼上也会尽量说些好听的话。实际上从本性上来说，我们都一样，都是邪恶的人。从某种程度上说，我们多多少少都会说谎、欺骗、霸凌别人。而死亡暴露了我们所有人最真实的一面——我们都是罪人。这就是为什么死的毒钩就是罪。

        最后不论是谁为我的葬礼来证道，我希望他最好谈谈耶稣，以及他是如何拯救一个像我这样的罪人的。每一个葬礼上的证道都应该是一个福音的证道。棺材里躺着的尸体本身就是一篇关于罪的证道，人们需要听到好消息，好消息就是藉着耶稣的死和复活，我们知道上帝接受了耶稣用自己生命献上的祭，为我们所犯的罪附上了全部代价。当我们如此相信，那么即使面对死亡我们也能歌唱这首荣耀的颂歌：“死啊，你的毒钩在哪里？死啊，你得胜的权势在哪里？ 感谢上帝，他使我们藉着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。”

祷告：主耶稣，复活的救主，谢谢你在我面对死亡的时候带给我盼望。死亡提醒我，我是彻头彻尾的罪人，每时每刻都需要你的恩典。让我的心充满你从死里复活给我带来的喜乐，就是在末日我也要从死里复活。阿们。

1 Corinthians 15:  54 But once this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled:  Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  (EHV)

The sting of death is sin. Whoever preaches at my funeral better not tell people what a great guy I was. That seems to be the theme in many funeral sermons. People will even find something good to say about a scoundrel. And that is what we all are by nature.  We are scoundrels. We are all liars and cheats and bullies to some degree or another. Death exposes what is true about every single one of us. We are sinners. That’s why the sting of death is sin.

        Whoever preaches at my funeral better talk about Jesus, and what he did to save a sinner like me. Every funeral sermon should be an evangelism sermon. The body in the casket is a sermon on sin by just being there. The good news is that through Jesus’ death and his resurrection, we know that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as full payment for our sins. When we believe this, then we can sing in the face of death this glorious song, ”Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, risen Savior, thank you for giving me hope in the face of death! Death reminds me that I am sinful through and through and need your grace every passing hour.  So fill my heart with the joy of your empty grave, and mine on the last day.  Amen.