These two deaths also reveal Satan’s insidious attacks against the truths of God’s Word. On the one hand, the death of Terri Shiavo shows how the secularists are attacking the very foundations of our society. With their modern philosophy that life has no value if it is not useful. Terri’s death highlights the fact that many other elderly people are deprived of food and water at the end of their life to let them “die with dignity.” Such a phrase only hides the reality that people are taking life rather than letting God decide when someone should die. Respect for the dignity and worth of all human life rests on God’s creation, the cross, and the empty tomb of Jesus. Jesus died for all people and rose again to give eternal life to all who believe on Him. Jesus is no respecter of persons, but gladly gives to and sustains life in all those whom He has made.

The other death is of one who received the adulation of the world and used it to further the false teachings of his denomination. While one might respect John Paul II for standing firm against euthanasia, abortion, and homosexuality; he cannot be respected for standing firm against the teaching of the true gospel and continuing to condemn those who teach that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Nor can we rejoice that under his leadership his denomination further corrupted a Lutheran church body in America by ratifying a deceptive agreement on the doctrine of justification. Nothing spiritually good can come from an agreement with what the Lutheran Confessions call the Antichrist.

In the world of ideas, Christians will always have to battle against the thoughts and ways of the world. The temptation is to follow along with human wisdom because it seeks to avoid bad feelings and because our sinful nature desires the praise of men rather than the glory of God. The Bible declares that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men.”

Where God proclaims life to all through the resurrection of Jesus, the world proclaims that life after death is a lie. Where God created Adam and Eve and gave them a soul, the world teaches that humans are like the other animals. Where the world praises the Pope for his role in history, God’s Word gives us the wisdom to see him as God does.

God cannot lie because He is the truth. The Bible says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10). We are to fear, love and trust in God’s Word more than any other book or idea developed by man.

By faith we believe that God gives life and takes it, that He sent Jesus to die for our sins and give us eternal life, and that His Son is our true Mediator and Intercessor before God. Our faith is guided by the truths God has revealed in His Word. God gives us wisdom to understand His will in matters of life and death and to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd as well as the voice of Satan speaking through the Antichrist. Without the discernment which the Holy Spirit gives us through the clear word of Scripture, we would be hopelessly lost trying to decide what is the truth.

Both of these deaths around Easter should lead us to re-affirm our commitment to supporting the value of human life and to remaining steadfast in the true faith set forth in the holy Gospel of Scripture and rightly confessed in the Book of Concord. We value human life because God created people with a soul. We value the truth because Jesus alone has redeemed us through His resurrection. God’s Word and Sacraments guide us on the way to heaven by keeping our eyes focused on Jesus, the Prince of Life. The truth of Easter has overcome death.