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Without a doubt, it’s the hardest thing that life has to offer. And for all of us, the clock started ticking the moment we were born. All that remains to be determined is when, where and how. But one thing is certain: Everybody’s going to face it and your turn is coming. So how do you deal with the fact that you’re eventually going to die?
A little while ago I was sitting in a restaurant when I overheard a conversation that wouldn’t have normally caught my attention, but for some reason this one got me thinking.
There were four women at a table across the room from me. And one of them suddenly said, “Did you hear that Peter Jennings passed away today?” Well, it turns out it wasn’t true, at least not that day. Peter Jennings was still alive at that time. The real news story of the day was that Peter Jennings had announced that he had lung cancer. And as bad as that news was, he was still very much alive for the time being.
But it started me thinking about something that maybe you’ve thought about, too. Why is it that we pay such close attention when a prominent person dies? I suspect it has a lot to do with the sense of loss we feel when celebrities will no longer be a part of our everyday lives. But that doesn’t really explain our morbid fascination with death.
Let’s admit it. Even though a large part of us is repulsed by the subject, we’re also irresistibly attracted to it. Even though it’s ghastly and the thought of death is something we’d rather not deal with, we still like to contemplate it, like the people on the freeway who can’t help themselves when they see a terrible car accident. They just have to slow down and take a look, even though a big part of them doesn’t really want to see what happened.
Why do we mark the passing of neighbors, friends and relatives with such morbid interest?
Is it because subconsciously it’s a big reminder that our turn is coming? Is it because every time we hear of someone dying, it’s like the ticking of a big cosmic clock that marks the days, minutes and hours until our turn comes?
You know, thousands of years ago an inspired writer made this observation, found in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter nine. Listen carefully to what he says (Ecclesiastes 9:5):
“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”
Now, did you catch it? The Bible says that the living know they’re going to die. And we really do know it, don’t we? Oh, maybe we didn’t know it when we were five or 10 years old, and maybe even not when we were a little bit older, but at some point, that not so funny sense that life is short kicks in. And we began to subconsciously scratch marks on the walls of our minds as the years pass by. And, quite frankly, most of us find the thought a little disturbing. Even though we know the world once existed without us, we still have trouble trying to imagine a world that will continue to exit once we’re dead. Because we experience everything in the universe from our own point of view, it’s hard to picture that the world could go on from someone else’s point of view without us. And yet that happens every single day, all over the world, to more than 150,000 people who die.
And to put things in an even more sobering perspective, you’ve never even heard of most of those people. You weren’t aware that they were alive to begin with, and your life went on just like normal even though they died. The disturbing reality is that one day we’re going to punch the cosmic time clock and call it quits. And I suppose the question I’d really like to address today is this: How are we supposed to feel about that?
Now, I’ve heard some people say that we’re supposed to embrace death, that we should just accept it as part of a natural cycle. But frankly, I’m not very happy with that, because I’m not convinced that it is part of the natural cycle. If it were, then why in the world do we spend so much time and so many resources trying to defeat it?
You see, instinctively, we know there’s something wrong. We have this irresistible urge to do something about death, to find cures for diseases, and to find ways of prolonging human life. If death really is the natural order of things, then why do we spend so much time trying to upset that natural order?
Well, the evolutionists will tell you that it’s because we have an overwhelming and inbred instinct for self-preservation; that we try to preserve our lives at any cost because evolutionary progress is based on the survival of the fittest. But that answer has never really satisfied me because it doesn’t really explain why.
Why do we have an instinct to survive? If our ancestors really did crawl out of the muck billions of years ago, why did they do it? And if they really did mutate and develop profitable new body parts, why did they do that?
Do you see what I’m getting at? In the evolutionary perspective, there’s no good reason for survival. There’s absolutely no reason that evolution should lead to improvements or make things better with each passing generation.
And outside of the fact that the Bible clearly contradicts and rejects the macro-evolutionary theory, that’s probably my number one reason for personally rejecting it. It just doesn’t make sense.
Without God in the picture, there’s no reason we should look for patterns or improvements in the universe, or develop a strong sense of self-preservation. So, when it comes to death, that can’t be it.
We don’t struggle against death because of an accidental sense of self-preservation. I think we struggle against it for much deeper reasons. I think we struggle against it because we instinctively know that death isn’t supposed to happen.
And, according to the Bible, it’s not—at least not in God’s original plan. Death came about because of a dramatic separation between the Creator and His creation. But your iniquities, the Bible says, have separated you from your God. And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear. Here’s how it works:
When the human race lived in perfect harmony with God, we had an eternal lease on life. We had a direct link to the Creator that sustained us indefinitely and death was not a part of the picture. But when we deliberately chose to drive a wedge of self-direction and rebellion between ourselves and God, we essentially cut ourselves off from the Source of Life. It’s kind of like unplugging an electric fan. At first, the blades have enough momentum to keep it spinning for a while, but without a constant source of power to keep them moving, they’re going to quit. And the same thing holds true for God’s creation. When we unplugged ourselves and set ourselves outside of God’s will, we essentially unplugged the fan.
We might have enough momentum to seek out a short existence on planet Earth, but without a direct connection to the source of power, the energy is going to run out and we’re going to die. That’s why the book of Romans says that (Romans 6:23):
“The wages of sin is death.”
And that brings me back to the topic I really want to explore. Knowing what we know about death, how are we supposed to feel about it? Clearly, if death is a consequence of a ruined relationship with God, we shouldn’t be too quick to embrace it, because that would be a little like enjoying a traumatic divorce and the horrible consequences that go with it.
Now, I’ve heard some fine, upstanding church people suggest that death isn’t a problem for the Christian, and shouldn’t give us any reason for grief. But I’m not entirely convinced about that, either. Because, the way I read the Bible, I’ve found that lots of God’s people have had a big problem with it.
Let me give you an example. In the book of Ecclesiastes, we find a remarkable passage where the wisest man who ever lived laments the fact that he’s going to die. Here’s what it says (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4):
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities: all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever.”
“What’s the point?” he says. “You can spend your life any way you want to and in the end everybody gets the same thing. You can be rich or poor, wise or foolish, selfish or selfless, and you’re still going to die.”
Now, that doesn’t sound like a man who was comforted by the thought of death. It sounds more like a man who was disturbed by the thought. Let me give you another example. In the book of Isaiah, there’s a story about a good and godly king named Hezekiah who found out that he was going to die. And he didn’t exactly rejoice when he heard the news. Listen to what the Bible says (Isaiah 38:1-3):
“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, ‘Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.’ Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said, ‘Remember now, o Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.’ And Hezekiah wept sore.”
I hope you caught the significance of this passage. When Hezekiah found out he was going to die, he didn’t say, “Well, that’s the natural order of things and I’m glad my time has finally come. I know God and I’ve had a long and meaningful relationship with Him, so this death thing isn’t a real problem.”
That’s not what happened, instead the Bible says that he turned his face again and began to weep. He understood quite clearly that death is not a good thing. He didn’t think of it as a stepping stone to an improved situation or a relief from the monotony of everyday life. Just like you and me, he hated the thought of dying.
Now, compare that story to some of the stories found in ancient Greek literature and you’ll notice a remarkable contrast. When the philosopher Socrates found out that he was going to be forced to drink poisoned hemlock, he embraced it and assured his students that death wasn’t a big problem. Nowhere do we read that he turned his face or wept sore, like Hezekiah, because he thought of death as an escape from the material world and his entrance into a better plan of existence.
What I find really interesting is that a God-fearing man was heartbroken by the thought of dying. And a man who grew up completely outside the faith of the Bible had no problem with it. To me that seems to fly in the face of the idea that Christians shouldn’t have any problem with death. And when I consider the example of Jesus, I know for sure that we’re supposed to be troubled by it.
In the eleventh chapter of John, Jesus stands outside the grave of one of His best friends, and He does the same thing you and I would do. He cries. And if Jesus wept, that tells me that heartfelt sorrow is an entirely appropriate response.
You see, for the Christian, death is a horrible reminder of just how far we’ve managed to separate ourselves from God. Everyday, as more than 150,000 people draw their last breath, we’re reminded of the helplessness and desperation of the human situation.
You know, sometimes at funerals you’ll hear people encouraging you not to cry. And I know what they’re trying to say, but I’m not sure it’s entirely appropriate counsel. According to the Bible, you have a perfect right to cry. The soil you walk on was not originally created for burial plots. The sharp loneliness and painful sense of loss you feel when you suddenly lose a close family member were never in God’s original Out ofprints. You’re supposed to feel bad about it.
Let’s take the example of Jesus just a little bit further. Now, to be honest, we can’t really compare the death of Jesus to our own, because it’s a little like comparing apples and oranges. When Jesus died, He did it under the weight of everyone’s sins. The Bible says that He died under a curse, absorbing the full cup of God’s wrath against sin. His death was more than just the cessation of life. It was utter separation from God the Father.
You and I have the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in the presence of God. But when Jesus faced the cross, He did it like somebody who didn’t have that hope. At one point, when He couldn’t see past the gates to the tomb, He actually cried out, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
So, to compare Jesus’ death to our own isn’t really a fair comparison. But at the same time, the Bible reminds us that Jesus became a human being, just like us. He had a real body of flesh and bone and He had real feelings.
And so, to some tiny degree, there is a comparison to be made. And the Bible says that when Jesus faced the prospect of His own death, He found it exceptionally troubling. And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed (Luke 22:42-44):
“Saying, ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Now, again, I want to stress that Jesus was facing more than you and I will ever face when approaching the grave, because He did it like a lost sinner who had no hope. But at the same time you’ll notice that He didn’t face it with a relaxed, easygoing attitude. He understood what the grave represents. It is the ultimate consequence of sin. It is a complete reversal of the natural order of things. It is the tragic destruction of God’s once perfect creation. And, quite frankly, the closer you get to God, the more painful sin and its consequences become.
Christians, above all other people, should be more troubled by the grave than anybody else. In one way, at least, because like a painful, ugly scar, it serves as a permanent reminder of something we did to bring pain to the heart of God. But at the same time, the Bible asks us to find comfort. If you think about it, that’s quite a bit different than asking us to be happy about it.
Let me read you an interesting passage from one of Paul’s letters that sheds a lot of light on how the Christian is supposed to relate to the subject of death. It’s found in first Thessalonians, chapter four. And here’s what he writes (1 Thessalonians 4:13):
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”
Now, let me stop right there for a moment, because Paul appears to say that we’re not supposed to sorrow over those we lost. But if you read it carefully, he actually says that we’re not supposed to sorrow as the rest. In other words, we’re not supposed to experience the sorrows of death in the same way other people do. Why? Well, he continues and explains (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17):
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall no prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Now, that’s the great hope we have as Christians. Because Jesus died in our place, the grave doesn’t need to be a place of fear anymore. We might sorrow over it, or grieve the loss of loved ones, or even feel a sense of regret when our turn comes, but in spite of all that, we have a hope that transcends all fear. Jesus is coming back, and when He does, the graves will be opened and the tragedy of death will be completely reversed. Paul ends this passage in verse 18 by saying (1 Thessalonians 4:18):
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
And that’s exactly where we ought to be as Christians. We have a right to feel sorrow and we have a right to hate the consequences of sin. But God asks us not to be afraid. And there’s a huge difference between lamenting the grave and being terrified of it. “Listen,” says God, “I’ve taken all the sting out of death and one day I’m going to turn it all around.” Listen to His promise in the closing chapters of the Bible (Revelation 21:4):
“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.”
Now, you’ll notice that the Bible doesn’t say that God’s people won’t shed tears. I think they’re going to shed plenty of them, the same way angels must weep when they have to witness the painful predicament we’ve created for ourselves here on planet Earth.
Tears are definitely going to be a part of our Christian experience. But one day God is going to wipe them away. In fact, it’s a promise that God makes twice in the book of Revelation, both in chapter 21, which we just read, and then back in chapter seven, beginning in the 16th verse (Revelation 7:16-17):
“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
Here is the secret to the Christian’s response to death: Just like everybody else, Christians sorrow over it. Frankly, for anybody in a close relationship with the God of love, it would seem strange not to sorrow over it, because all through the Bible God Himself weeps over our predicament. It’s perfectly all right to hate the thought of dying. It doesn’t mean that your faith isn’t strong enough, it just means that you’re human and you understand what a terrible thing dying really is.
But, at the same time, God asks you to find comfort in knowing that it’s not going to last forever. He’s asking you to trust him with both your life and your death.
You know, there’s an interesting passage in the book of Psalms that used to bother me, until I put it in its proper perspective. It’s found in Psalm 116, verse 15. It says (Psalm 116:15):
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Now, when you first read it, it seems a little strange. How in the world could God enjoy anybody’s death, when it causes such pain and suffering here on Earth? But, when you read it carefully, that’s not what it is saying. In fact, it says just the opposite. Hidden beneath the psalmist’s words is the startling realization that God Himself suffers at every gravesite.
Think about it for a moment. When the Bible says that the death of the saints is precious in God’s sight, what does that actually mean? It means that not all deaths are alike for God. Something is different about those who die in a meaningful relationship with Him. Those who refuse to trust Him with their life and death go to their graves without hope and the heart of God’s sorrows, because they’ve chosen to remain separated from Him forever.
But when a saint dies, someone who has a meaningful and trusting relationship with Him, it’s a little different. Instead of suffering the eternal loss of one of His children, God Himself can take comfort in the hope of the resurrection and reunion.
You see, the return of Jesus isn’t just the ultimate hope for Christians. It’s also the ultimate hope for God—because He feels a keen sense of separation from us, just like we feel a keen sense of separation from Him.
We’re not the only ones who are suffering while we patiently wait for Jesus to return. And the heart of God longs for the second coming as much as you do, so that both your tears and His can be wiped away.
I know the chances are pretty good that you’ve suffered in this life. If you haven’t felt the sting of death yet, it’s going to come. And I want you to have the profound sense of peace and comfort that comes from knowing God. Will your grave be a hopeless one, or will you be one of those funerals that God Himself can take comfort in?
One of the most hopeful promises of the Bible is found in 1 Corinthians 15:26, where it says:
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
If you think about it, that’s pretty remarkable. One day soon, the last funeral will be conducted, and the last coffin lid will be closed. And we will never have to say goodbye again.
So, let me ask you, are you planning to be a part of that world? Why don’t we bow our heads right now and pray?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, sometimes the sting of the grave is almost impossible to bear. We’re tired of shedding tears over pain and suffering, and we look forward to the day that you completely turn it all around. We accept the death of Christ in our place, and we claim the life that He promises. Lord, cover our sins with the blood of Christ and thank you for taking the consequences of our rebellion on yourself. Above all, come quickly, Lord, so that we can rejoice in your presence forever. For in Christ’s name we pray it, Amen.
Scriptures Used in “The Living Know”
“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”
—Ecclesiastes 9:5
“The wages of sin is death.”
—Romans 6:23
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities: all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever.”
—Ecclesiastes 1:2-4
“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, ‘Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.’ Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said, ‘Remember now, o Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.’ And Hezekiah wept sore.”
—Isaiah 38:1-3
“Saying, ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
—Luke 22:42-44
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”
—1 Thessalonians 4:13
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall no prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
—1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
—1 Thessalonians 4:18
“And God shall wipe away all tears form 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.”
—Revelation 21:4
“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
—Revelation 7:16-17
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
—Psalm 116:15
“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
—1 Corinthians 15:26