Jesus has no sympathy toward death

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5

There is a growing interest in the U.S. in the Mexican folk saint la Santa Muerte, or “Saint Death.” Her face is skeletal and has interceding abilities that range from smashing your enemies to smuggling your methamphetamines. Sadly, there are believers who ask favors of la Santa Muerte, erroneously calling on the name of Jesus, thinking she’ll intervene against an enemy for you. Let us not be fooled by the idea of this false saint’s false generosity.

La Santa Muerte is not a harmless cultural thing—Satan is well acquainted with perverting and twisting spirituality that always leads to death. As a result, those who pray to her are ignorantly and willingly trapped in offering prayers and heartfelt devotion to a skeleton-faced saint who represents death, a mockery of life, rather than the God of glory, light, and life. Thankfully, we do have access to a rightful and righteous victor over death: Jesus. Christians must not call on death; we do go to the one all life was created through.

It is huge for Christians to know this for a few reasons:

As missionaries in our cities, especially here in Albuquerque, understanding the context of our culture is crucial. Look around and you will see la Santa Muerte’s face. There is a gaping need for the Author of life.
The fruit of Satan’s ministry is death. Three hours south of Albuquerque we find the second-highest murder rate city of the world, Juárez. Recently, our city experienced the tragic murder of a brother whose news spread across the world. The pain of death is present, real, and deep.
As children of God, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly place” (Eph. 6:12).
Jesus destroyed death through the power of his resurrection: Death has been swallowed up (Isa. 25:8).
Satan has been defeated: The one who had power over death has been destroyed, (Heb. 2:14).
Death will eternally burn: Death and Hades will one day be thrown into the lake of fire, death will be no more (Rev. 20:14; 21:4).
Death lost: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:54–55)

Jesus has no sympathy toward death. His very words were the expression of power and life over death’s sting. His words crushed the grave. Pray that Jesus would loudly utter the words to the people of our cities, “Come out.”

“When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” John 11:43–44