Christians and the Inevitability of Death
Christians experience death just like everyone else. Jesus wept at the graveside of a friend (John 11:25). Christians weep at funerals, just like most other people. We experience the anguish of loved ones who have "passed on", the sense of loss, sometimes meaningless when those who die are young and had their futures ahead of them. Go to any cemetery and walk along the rows of graves. You will see from the headstones (3 months, 96 years, 42 years, 9 days) that death is no respecter of age. Christians have euphemisms for death, just like everyone else. Terms like "kick the bucket" or "snuff it" are changed to "gone to be with the Lord", "promoted to glory", "with Jesus". When it has been my melancholy duty to organise funerals for family members or conduct services for church people I have been surprised at the number of options available. (Not to mention a vast array of coffins and associated funerary paraphernalia "for your loved ones"-—death is big business.)
Whatever non-Christians think of our theologies, they know death is the great leveler (cf Job 1:21, 3:17-19). When confronted by a death sentence (whether medical or judicial) non-believers often find themselves praying. Self-assurance is not enough. It is not uncommon for people on Death Row to "find religion". But every death is tragic. Every life is cut short. Denials, such as "There is no God", dissolve as reliable refuges. For many people the proximity of death gives rise to fear. For others, profound sadness and regret remain, regret for lost opportunities, for loss of future, for what remains undone and unsaid. We love life so much it is hard to let go. But the end of life is too late in the day to start regretting. There must be something else.
Biologically, from the moment we are born we begin to die. Only two people in the Bible did not die (Enoch and Elijah were miraculously taken up into God's presence). Everyone else died, even those whom Jesus miraculously raised from the grave. When Jesus was crucified he died physically. He has been there; He knows what it is like. The Bible tells us that He tasted death for everybody.
The Bible warns us to "remember our creator when we are young", before it is too late (Ecclesiastes 12:1) death will follow, as surely as night follows day. After that, there is no going back. There are no opportunities for repentance or salvation beyond the grave. Concepts such as "a second chance after death," and "baptism for the dead," are without foundation in the Bible.
What does the Bible say about death? As to the reason for death, the record is clear. The first man and woman (and their descendants) were designed to live forever, in the presence of God, with His continual blessing. Sin in the Garden changed all of that (Romans 5:12). This, rather than the mere fact of death, is the great tragedy. "The world lies under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). Death is one of the signs of a fallen human condition.
Since then, death and decomposition have held people in a grip of terror. The writer of the Psalms exclaimed: "The terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me. And horror has overwhelmed me" (Psalm 55:4-5). Fear of the unknown. Fear of suffering that results in death. Spiritualists try to communicate with the dead, to find out about the state of loved ones and to provide assurance about the unknown. Death is final. Without God, hope dies and despair reigns.
However, the Christian message offers a different outcome.
Jesus Christ said He was the "resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). He came to set us free from the fear of death and to give us hope (Hebrews 2:15). He has abolished eternal death for those who believe in Him and will one day destroy physical death (1 Corinthians 15:26). There will be no death in Heaven (Luke 20:26, Revelation 21:4).
The Apostle Paul wrote that, "to be absent from the body (i.e. deceased) is to be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). That's a different perspective. Most of us enjoy life; very few of us are eager to leave. Paul spoke of the "earthly tent being dissolved by death (2 Corinthians 5:1).
The Bible teaches that this life is short and that we had better not become too attached to it. We need a permanent anchor. People without an anchor feel that life drifts from one tragedy to another, that life is "unfair". Sure. Life is not fair. There is no equality. It is not our "human right" not to die.
This is not the way it was all meant to turn out. Suffering and death were not God's original plan. That said, the death and resurrection of Jesus have made a new outcome possible. The Bible describes those who die in a right relationship with God as being "blessed" (Revelation 14:13). The physical death of a Christian is highly valued in the sight of God (Psalm 116:15). (The Good News for Modern Man version puts it in a different way: "How painful it is to the Lord when one of His people dies.") When the Christian dies he or she goes straight to be with their Heavenly Father. No detours, no probation (no purgatory), no conditions attached.
For the Christian, death is not "the end", but the end of the beginning. Death is described in the Bible as "falling asleep" (John 11:11, 1 Corinthians 15:6). Jesus has taken away its sting and victory in His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:55). Furthermore, God has given us the Holy Spirit in this life as a "deposit", guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 5:5). Instead of feeling lonely, we know he is with us; he will never leave us (Psalm 23:4).
One day you and I are going to see the face of Jesus and bow down and worship Him. Everything we have experienced and not understood is going to make sense. There will be no more cancer, AIDS, head disease, malnutrition, or war. No more toothache, backache or heartache. No more funerals or separation. Death is part of the staging process. We belong on this earth as long as God wills it and there is work for us to do (Philippians 1:21- 26); after that we will make the transition to Heaven. The clear message that should be coming from the church should be one of realism and hope, to counter the prevailing despair and speak life into hopeless situations. Let's live in hope.
Celebrating life
Let's celebrate life, while we have it, making it count and using every opportunity for God's glory, remaining informed and strengthened by God's perspective. Let's determine to fulfill His plan for our lives, enjoy His blessing and make a difference in our world. In the words of Jesus, let's work while it is "daylight"; night will come soon enough (John 9:41).