So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
The Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California, is generally regarded as one of the oldest cemeteries in the state. Though, of course, people had died and been buried throughout our state’s history, the dead were often buried on family land or somewhere near where their lives ended. But in 1839, a decision was made to bury people under the oak trees that lined the San Bautista Hills. First known as “The Graveyard,” the cemetery expanded over the years, and in 1933 it was renamed Oak Hill Memorial Park in tribute to the history of the site.
Ever since sin entered into the world, death has been an unescapable part of the human experience. Unless the Lord returns, every one of us will one day keep that appointment. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This is just as true for Christians as it is for unbelievers, but we face death with a different perspective, because we realize that it no longer holds the sting that it once did. Our lives will come to an end, but the victorious life and resurrection of Jesus Christ ensures that we too will live again.
When He met with the grieving Martha after the death of His friend Lazarus, Jesus declared that He is our hope for victory over the grave. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). This is the promise that allows us to go to a cemetery with confident hope.
