The dictionary describes an intruder as someone who enters a place or situation despite not being invited. Death is the greatest intruder in our lives. No one invites death in. It just shows up, without notice. And then even when we know it’s coming, we are still filled with this intense and crushing feeling of anxiety while waiting. Either way death is never invited into our lives. Many emotions come with death; anger, grief, hurt, and the feeling of helplessness. As believers of the Word of God, we may still have these emotions but we are comforted knowing that although death is scary, it is also merciful. Death is both an ending and a beginning. It can be both a separation and a reunion.
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
“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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Death is inevitable. We all will experience it; rich and poor, good and evil, believers and nonbelievers. The good news is that those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, even though their physical bodies depart this life, because He rose from the dead, Jesus prepared the path for His followers. Now we too will live a resurrected life even after we die. For those who believe in Jesus, death is nothing but a doorway between life and life.
“All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:2-3)
“If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans 8:10-11)
“He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:10)
Believers in Jesus still grieve when people they love die. The separation from those we love can be heart-breaking. Even Jesus wept, deeply moved in spirit when the man’s family and friends were grieving. Yet even though we grieve, we do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope.
“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.” (John 11:33-35)
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:19-22)
We have hope because scripture tells us that one day there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. The enemy uses the stain of our sin and the inevitability of our death to keep us in fear. But we must remember that Jesus freed us from our captivity to sin and our fear of death. He beat sin and death by taking our sins and dying. Because of His great sacrifice we do not have to be intimidated by death.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelations 21:4)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
“For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:7-8)
“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
Sometimes when we are grieving we get angry and at times it may be directed towards God. We don’t understand why this has happened and we have so many questions. But God comprehends our pain and does not resent our questions, He welcomes them. He understands our helplessness and turns it into strength. I don’t know how, but I have experienced it. Sometimes He gives no answer, it is His presence that turns our conflict into some type of release. His grace is sufficient even in times of grief.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4)
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Loss leaves us feeling lost, grief feels like your heart has been broken into pieces. We may feel as if we can’t go on. Then we lift our eyes to God who reminds us of His promises. If we keep our eyes on Him, we see that He is with us step by step, day by day. He will remind us of His promise of forever life with Him. When Jesus returns, our spirits will be united with bodies which are eternal like His own resurrected body. He will remind us that the dead are not lost; like us in the land of the living, they are waiting for His return. Love and Blessing…
“Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” (Isaiah 57:2)
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15)
“Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
‘In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-6)
EMMANUEL 