1 Corinthians 15:55 – "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm summer breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the back seat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour.

"Oh, Daddy," she squeals in terror. "It's a bee! It's going to sting me!"

The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around towards him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist. Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee.

The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, "Daddy, it's going to sting me!"

The father gently says, "No honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand."

The bee's stinger is there in his hand.

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

Jesus says to us, "Look at my hands."

He has Satan's sting,
the sting of death,
the sting of sin,
the sting of deceit.

Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands.

When you see that nail-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, Jesus took all the pain that Satan could throw at Him. He reduced Satan to a big black bee that's lost its stinger — all Satan can do is buzz.

That's the victory that Jesus won for you!

[Heard from Frank Peretti on the Focus on the Family Radio Program.]

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking the sting of death for me. May I be filled with eternal gratitude for your sacrifice on the cross, and your glorious resurrection. Amen.

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