[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 05/Jun/2022]
Some years ago, long before Partygate, a new manager where I worked invited the staff to his home for a social gathering. The problem was that it was straight after work and he opened some bottles of wine, but he didn’t provide any food, not even any nibbles. As this was in the days before breathalysers, he kept coming round topping up our glasses. As you can guess, with our empty stomachs, the wine went to our heads and we were chatting away merrily.
But one poor teenaged girl wasn’t used to drinking wine and as her voice got louder she somehow started talking about death. The whole room went quiet as everyone stopped talking except for her, and she ended up saying, “I’m absolutely terrified of dying.” Someone quickly changed the subject and we got back to our conversations. Needless to say, at the next social gathering the manager gave us a sumptuous buffet meal with the wine.
It may be surprising that we who are firm believers in Jesus to give us new everlasting life by His own death, are also not very happy about dying, and perhaps fearful too. When God first created human beings, he created us to live and not to die (Gen 2:7-9 & 16-17). But it was our own choice of doing what we wanted instead of following His will that brought about our death throughout history (Gen 3).
Perhaps the feeling that originally we were born to live and not to die makes us worried about dying. In a very basic way also, we have a fear of dying in order to protect us, otherwise we may walk in front of a bus and not be concerned that it would end our lives. Not only that we are fearful of the unknown and no one we know has died and come back to life and tell us what happens. Except one person – that is Jesus.
Jesus made it very clear, even before His death and coming back to life, that He came to give us new life instead of death. He even told us not to worry.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also on me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
(John 14:2-3)
Let’s be like Paul who was torn between living and dying. Not because he was worried about death, but as he said, “
For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]…..But I am hard pressed between the two. My yearning desire is to depart (to be free of this world, to set forth) and be with Christ, for that is far, far better.”
(Phil 1:21-23 Amp)
He also said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9 NIV)
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Contributed by Michael Goble; © the Author
