Dec 14
Romans 6:4-5
Memorise 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
“planted together in the likeness of his death”

In both Testaments, believers have always been buried. The Old Testament patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—were all buried (Genesis 25:8-10, 35:29, 49:33, 50:1-13). The same is true in the New Testament: John the baptiser was buried (Matthew 14:10-12), Lazarus was buried (John 11:17), Stephen was buried (Acts 8:2), our Lord Himself was buried (John 19:40-42). The Bible is clear that burial is the acceptable practice for both Jews and Christians.

There are  two  doctrinal  reasons  that  Christians  should be buried  and not cremated. We bury because of (1) the doctrine of the resurrection  and  (2) the doctrine of the body.

As Christians, we believe in the bodily resurrection. Burial is meaningful to the Christian because it points to the future resurrection. This was certainly what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he said, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5). When we bury the human body, it is like sowing a seed into the ground; at the appointed time, it will sprout out of the ground as a plant. God will one day raise up our body just as He raised Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Cremation, on the other hand, with all that fire and burning, would     only evoke thoughts of punishment and judgment. Would not the message on  the  Christian’s  blessed  hope  of  a  future  resurrection  be contradicted by rolling a casket into the furnace? The fire gives a picture of hell, not heaven. Clearly, cremation illustrates the eternal destiny of unbelievers, and not of believers. The hideous sight of a    body stoking up the furnace will only bring more sorrow and grief to    the bereaved, not hope and comfort. The message of the resurrection  is lost when we cremate our  dead.

Thought: “The rites of burial arouse us to the hope of resurrection and everlasting life” (Calvin).
Prayer: Lord, I thank Thee for the resurrection hope.