“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. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NIV)
The natives of the Fiji Islands have a hopeless custom known as "calling to the dead." The one who has suffered the death of a loved one climbs to a high tree or cliff. He mentions the name of the deceased, then cries out desperately, "Come back! Come back!" The eerie echo of grief fills the air. Those who have suffered the loss of their soul mate, companion, or beloved child can sympathize deeply.
The Christian does not need to climb to the top of a cliff, because Jesus climbed the hill of Calvary. You don't have to cry out, "Come back!" from a high tree, because Jesus cried out, "Father, forgive them," from a wooden cross. The resurrection power of Christ over death and hell brings a Christian hope in this life and the life to come.
-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians”
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