A little boy and his dad were driving along on a nice spring day with the windows open when a bee flew in the car. Now this concerned both the dad and the boy because the boy was deathly allergic to bee stings. In that moment, the dad did something amazing.

As he saw the bee hovering in front of his son’s face, he snatched the bee into his hand and crushed it.. When he let go, the boy was still scared because the bee was still alive. The boy began to scream and cry until his father said, “Look, everything’s okay.” He opened his hand and showed the boy the stinger.

Just as that father sacrificed to save his son, Jesus took the sting of death for us and triumphed over the grave as our victorious Savior. His nail scarred hands assure us that we no longer must be petrified of death. Once we have placed our trust in Him, we, too, will rise!

During Christ’s unjust trial and brutal death on the cross, the disciples were fearful and dejected. These once cowardly men that denied Jesus and ran away, later became powerful preachers and bold martyrs. What changed? They saw the One who took the sting of death for them and watched Him triumph over the grave. What changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday? What brought us the New Testament? The resurrection did! The church itself is proof that something remarkable happened on that third day.

When we consider all these things, we can have confidence in our everyday life and in our eternal life. The sting of death is gone because our Heavenly Father lovingly took it for us. Because He crushed the forces that condemned us to hell with His mighty hand, we can face each day with courage, hope, and certainty.