Hosea 13:14
“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?”
For many, death is the ultimate fear. Fear of dying too soon, dying alone, loved ones dying, or even just the idea of death in general. It is, after all, the greatest unknown. No one has ever been able to come back and tell us what to expect once you die. Or have they?
In the last few verses in Luke Chapter 8, we learn about Jarius. Jarius was a synagogue leader facing the greatest fear of a parent; the death of his twelve-year-old daughter. Jarius sought Jesus with the faith and belief that Jesus could heal his daughter and prevent her untimely death. It was urgent, yet the crowd continued to follow them slowing Jesus down. And then, Jesus takes the time to heal the woman suffering from bleeding that we discussed last week. Where was His sense of urgency? Didn’t he know how serious this was?
Then the news came, Jarius was too late in seeking healing. His daughter was dead so he felt like there was no need to bother Jesus anymore. Imagine that horrific feeling. Jarius was so close but now his fear had been substantiated. His daughter was gone. It was then that Jesus looked at Jarius and said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (v50). Believe? Believe what? She was dead, that’s it. The end.
Jesus knew death was not the end. Jesus knew the reason He came was to conquer sin and the punishment of death. He knew what His own death and miraculous resurrection would do for mankind. He knew the eternal life available through His redemptive work on the cross was finally here to rescue us. He is our resource for what to expect when you die.
The Bible has a lot to say about death. Death was the punishment for sin back in Genesis 3. Our sin made it impossible for us to be in relationship with a Holy God (Romans 6:23). For centuries, something had to die to cover the sins of man. The moment Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross, was the moment death was destroyed. Yes, our earthly bodies will decay and our time on earth will be finished but it is not the end for us. Because of Jesus, we do not have to fear death! What freedom we have from this fear!
This is amazing news, but I know death can still be hard. It can be tragic when lives are robbed through violence, it can be gut wrenching to watch loved ones’ bodies and minds decay because of age and disease, and it can be deeply lonely to lose the companionship of those that go before us. It is during these moments that we realize our need for redemption and can express our gratitude for Jesus.
I have recently been to two different funerals. One was for a man whose eternal fate was unknown. It was the saddest funeral I have ever attended. Then, later I attended a funeral for a woman whose faith was so great, her loved ones couldn’t help but celebrate her departure from earth. For her, death was a kindness. The woman’s faith was lived out in such a way that no one questioned where she would spend eternity. Her earthly life was plagued by illness and a failing body, but her family rejoiced in her being healed and made whole in Heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
As Jesus told Jarius, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” This too can be our hope and the remedy for the fear of death. Death no longer has power over us. This is what we celebrate at Easter, our freedom from the fear of death! When we understand the hope and promise of Heaven, death loses its sting. We can even begin to look forward to the day our time on earth is done. When we no longer have pain, illness, tragedy, struggles and heartbreak. Paul expresses this radical perspective in Philippians. Life on earth gives us the opportunity to grow and experience the sanctifying power of Christ in our lives but death allows us to be freed from sin and in the perfect presence of our loving Father.
Do not fear. Death is really no big deal.
Philippians 1:21-24
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.