The following is a transcript of The Royal Family Podcast, Season 1 Episode 11. 

Richard III was king of England from 1452 to 1485. During his reign, he was said to be a very vile man, murdering even those related to him. Because of that, there were 2 major rebellions against King Richard, the second of which left his army defeated and King Richard killed in battle. He was the last English King to die in battle on home soil.

However, because of the life he’d led as king, there was no pomp surrounding his burial. The original tomb was said to have been lost and or destroyed during the reformation, but two years ago, remains were found by use of ground-penetrating radar in a random parking lot in Greyfriars. A year later, radiocarbon dating and the comparison of mitochondrial DNA confirmed that these were the remains of this late 15th century king, and thus the petition to have a reburial began.

The only problem was that some didn’t necessarily want him to have a reburial, and if he was reburied, they didn’t appreciate the life he’d led and thus they didn’t want it to be a formal ceremony. However, it was ultimately decided that he would have a proper reburial, and that ceremony took place on Thursday.

So what does all of that mean for us today?

I think one of the reason I found this story to be so fascinating is because the idea of finding the tomb of your king sounds so bizarre. As a Christian royal, the whole premise of our faith is the fact that you’ll never find the remains of our King. Our King reigns in heaven! Our King is still alive – seated at the right hand of God! Our King conquered death, arose on the third day in a glorious resurrection, and then ascended into heaven where He remains, pleading on our behalf to the great I AM.

Here’s what 1 Corinthians 15 says about our Savior and his death, burial, and resurrection:

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

That’s why a reburial is so foreign to me. For Jesus, there will be no reburial. He tasted death – once and for all – and now, He’s conquered death. The beautiful thing is that He hasn’t conquered death just for Himself, but for all of those who would follow Him and submit to Him and dedicate their lives to living in His service. Moving down in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul continues:

“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I am so grateful that no only does Christ not need a reburial, but I as a child of God won’t need a reburial. Once I am dead and gone -should Jesus not return in my lifetime – I will be buried, and I will await the day that I meet Him in the air, changed, resurrected to eternal life in heaven with Him and the Father. What a glorious day that will be!! And not just for me, but for all who choose to live like Christ. For all who choose to share in His death – contacting His blood through baptism.

Paul wrote about this to the Christians in Rome. He said, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

I want to share in the resurrection of Christ, so I was baptized into Christ, and I am striving to live for Him every day. If you want to make sure you share in the resurrection of Jesus on that last great day, then be sure you have shared in His death and that you are living for Him today.