I asked him, “What do you think is our greatest enemy?”
He thought for a minute and ventured, “The environment? Nature?”
“No. Death. It gets everybody. You. Me. Your dad. This is our greatest enemy. It's like a period - the end of your life. I die and can’t see you anymore and you can't see me anymore.
"Why doesn't God just put an end to it?" (Don’t they ask great questions?!!)
l explained about sin, that we die because of sin; not some specific personal sin, but sin brought death. And then of course we spend our lives running from God, so the enemy is death, but the problem is sin. I asked him, "Why do you think Jesus came?"
"To die on the cross?"
“Yes. Death was lording it over us, laughing at us, and Jesus came to fight death for us. But he died. Death got him, too. Looks like Jesus lost. What happened after he died?”
“He was buried.”
“Yes, And after that?” He was silent. “He rose from the dead. He beat death! He did that for us and now offers us victory on death.”
"Then why do people still die?" (I’m telling you, grandchildren ask great questions!!)
"That’s a good question. Jesus defeated death and offers us victory over death. He will raise us from the dead and give us a new body. Both my eyes will work, I won't be old, no more aches and pains, no more getting sick, no more dying, no more parting, pain, or sorrow. And now, because of this hope we have, He has delivered us from the fear of death.
Our discussion then moved to some personal particulars surrounding this issue. What a great discussion. And I love the questions my grandchildren ask! They are basic, yet deep, and I have to be able to offer more than platitudes, clichés, truisms.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
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