2026-04-05
Matthew 28:6 KJV
One day your heart will give a final pulse, and your lungs empty a final breath. And barring the return of Christ, you will die. The psalmist asked, “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” (Psalm 89:48 NKJV). Young and old, good and bad, rich and poor; neither gender is spared; no class is exempt. “No one has power over the time of their death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8 NIV).
The geniuses, the rich, the poor – no one outruns or outsmarts it. Julius Caesar died. Elvis died. John Kennedy died. Princess Diana died. We all will die. We won’t escape death. The finest surgeon might enhance your life but can’t eliminate your death. The Hebrew writer was blunt: “People are destined to die once” (Hebrews 9:27 NIV). Exercise all you want. Eat nothing but healthy food, and pop fists full of vitamins. Stay out of the sun, away from alcohol, and off drugs. Do your best to stay alive, and still, you will die.
Death seems like such a dead end until we read Jesus’ resurrection story: “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said…Go quickly and tell His disciples… He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him… So they went out quickly… to bring His disciples word… Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him” (Matthew 28:6-17 NKJV).
For the redeemed child of God, death is not the end but the beginning of a glorious life in heaven that will have no end.
Soul food: 1 Cor 15; Luke 24:1-12
Matteus 28:6 NLV
Eendag sal jou hart ‘n laaste pols gee en jou longe ‘n laaste asemteug uitblaas. Tensy Christus alreeds teruggekeer het, sal jy sterf. Die Psalmdigter het gevra: ‘Watter mens kan lewe sonder om die dood te sien? Wie kan homself red uit die mag van die doderyk?’ (Psalm 89:49 NLV). Jonk en oud, goed en sleg, ryk en arm; geen mens word daarvan vrygestel nie. ‘Niemand het die mag om die wind te beheer nie. Net so kan mense nie bepaal wanneer hulle doodgaan nie…’ (Prediker 8:8 NLV).
Die wyses, die rykes, die armes – niemand kan daarvoor weghardloop of die dood uitoorlê nie. Ons almal sal sterf. ‘Soos elke mens bestem is om net een keer te sterf…’ (Hebreërs 9:27 NLV). Oefen soveel as wat jy wil. Eet net gesonde kos en drink handevol vitamienes. Bly uit die son en weg van alkohol en van dwelms af. Doen jou bes om aan die lewe te bly en jy sal steeds sterf.
Die dood lyk soos ‘n doodloopstraat, totdat ons Jesus se opstandingsverhaal lees: ‘Hy is nie hier nie, want Hy is opgewek uit die dood, presies soos Hy gesê het… En gaan sê nou dadelik vir sy dissipels… Hy gaan julle solank vooruit Galilea toe. Julle sal Hom dáár sien… Hulle het toe haastig van die graf af weggegaan… om die boodskap aan sy dissipels te gaan gee… Die elf dissipels het toe na Galilea toe gegaan, na die berg soos Jesus hulle beveel het. Toe hulle Hom sien, het hulle Hom aanbid…’ (Matteus 28:6-17 NLV).
Vir die verloste kind van God is die dood nie die einde nie, maar die begin van ‘n glorieryke lewe in die hemel wat geen einde sal hê nie.
Sielskos: 1 Kor 15; Luk 24:1-12
2026-04-04
John 19:30 NKJV
In Old Testament times, you received forgiveness from God by bringing a sacrificial lamb to the altar, where a priest would shed its blood and offer it as atonement. The first person in Scripture to do this was Cain’s brother, Abel (See Genesis 4:4). When Solomon dedicated his magnificent temple, he sacrificed one-hundred-and-twenty-thousand sheep and twenty-two-thousand oxen as a sacrifice for the entire nation. In the Old Testament Tabernacle, the sacrificial fire was never allowed to go out; it had to be kept burning. The Israelites carried it with them on their journey through the wilderness, and it’s been estimated that between Gethsemane and Easter, no less than one hundred thousand lambs died, literally turning the Kidron Stream red.
However, not one fluid ounce of the blood that was shed could atone for our sins. They were simply rolled forward, waiting for a lamb whose sacrifice would end all sacrifices, a priest whose finished work would atone for sin once and for all. And that’s what happened when Jesus cried, “It is finished.” In Hebrew, the phrase literally means “Paid in full.” At that moment, the curtain in the temple that separated the people from God was torn from top to bottom.
As a result, we can now go at any time where only one man could go one day a year – into the presence of God, knowing we’ll be loved, accepted, seen through the blood of Christ, and deemed righteous. With that in mind, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).
Soul food: Jer 28-30; Luke 23:50-56; Ps 72:12-20; Prov 9:7-9
Johannes 19:30 NLV
In die Ou Testamentiese tye het jy vergifnis van God ontvang deur ‘n offerlam na die altaar toe te bring, waar ‘n priester die bloed daarvan sou vergiet en dit as versoening sou aanbied. Die eerste persoon in die Skrif wat dit gedoen het, was Kain se broer, Abel (sien Genesis 4:4). Toe Salomo sy manjifieke tempel ingewy het, het hy honderd-en-twintigduisend skape en twee-en-twintigduisend osse as ‘n offer vir die hele volk gebring. Die offervuur in die tabernakel in die Ou Testament is nie toegelaat om dood te gaan nie; dit moes aan die brand gehou word. Daar word geskat dat daar tydens die Paasfees amper honderdduisend lammers geoffer is, wat die Kidronstroom letterlik rooi gekleur het.
Nie een milliliter van die bloed wat vergiet is, kon egter vir ons versoening van ons sondes bring nie. Ons moes wag vir ‘n lam wie se offer alle offers sou beëindig, ‘n priester wie se voltooide werk eens en vir altyd vir ons sonde versoening sou bring. Dit is wat gebeur het toe Jesus uitgeroep het: ‘Dit is volbring.’ In Hebreeus beteken die frase: ‘Volledig betaal.’ Op daardie oomblik het die gordyn in die tempel wat die mense van God geskei het, van bo tot onder geskeur.
Gevolglik kan ons nou enige tyd by die plek ingaan, waar slegs die hoëpriester een dag per jaar in die teenwoordigheid van God kon ingaan, met die wete dat ons geliefd, aanvaar en deur die bloed van Christus as regverdig beskou sal word. Met dit in gedagte: ‘Kom ons gaan dan met volle vrymoedigheid na die troon van ons genadige God. Hy sal aan ons sy deernis en onverdiende goedheid bewys sodat ons op die regte tyd gehelp sal word’ (Hebreërs 4:16 NLV).
Sielskos: Jer 28-30; Luk 23:50-56; Ps 72:12-20; Spr 9:7-9
2026-04-03
Romans 5:20 NKJV
Just minutes before his final breath, Jesus cried out, “Tetelestai!” from the cross. In English, it is translated as “It is finished.” It was the same word that was written on receipts in New Testament times, indicating that a debt had been paid in full. Jesus’ death on the cross was the final installment on sin. The entire debt for every sinner who comes to Him for salvation has been paid in full at Calvary.
Paul wrote: “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Did you catch it? “Much more!” The mercy bank is never closed. And there are never insufficient funds. The supply of grace is always greater than the demand of sin. The split second we confess our sin, a miraculous transaction happens. All our sin is transferred to Christ’s account and paid in full. But as good as that is, it’s only half the gospel.
There’s a second transfer that takes place. All His righteousness is credited to our account, and God says, “Let’s call it even!” Paul explained it this way: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them… For He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:19, 21 NKJV).
To be “in Christ” means we stand in His righteousness rather than our own. So, when we stand before God, we won’t have to account for our sin, because it was already accounted for at the cross. The Father will see the righteousness of His Son that has been credited to our account.
Soul food: Isa 53; Luke 23:26-49; Ps 22
