I finished reading Genesis this week, and it ended like it always does with the deaths of Jacob (Genesis 49) and Joseph (Genesis 50). It’s been said that Genesis begins “In the beginning God…” and ends “…in a coffin in Egypt.” Depressing.

Since Genesis 3, death has had the last word. As my son Matt pointed out while Clemson was losing its semi-final championship football game to Ohio State on January 1:

Most teams lose their last game.

I had never thought of that, but it’s true. While it’s true that for those college football teams that play in (meaningless) bowl games, only half lose their last game, seasons that end in tournaments end with a lot of losses! In basketball, 68 teams get very excited about being invited to the NCAA (“March Madness”) Tournament, and 67 of them will lose their last game. The table is set for this year’s Super Bowl: 14 NFL teams made the playoffs, and in three weeks, 12 have lost their last game.

As I was contemplating the “lose your last game” phenomenon and comparing it with death, I was excited to realize that we only appear to “lose our last game to death.” Actually, death loses its last game, and that’s good news!

And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4.13, 14, MSG)

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power…The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15.21 – 26, ESV)