“You’d better come here as soon as possible!” My brother’s urgency made me immediately search online for plane tickets with the quickest connection, but the task was easier said than done. After all, I had an ocean to cross. When the phone rang again a few hours later, in the middle of the night back in the States, I knew—my father had passed away.
During the next few weeks, as I went through all the things that happen when there is a death in the family, I was filled with peace. Of course, there was sorrow and grieving, too. I missed my Daddy! But no matter how deep the sadness was, the peace I felt was even deeper still.
How could I experience such peace at a time like this? My thoughts echoed the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Paul proclaimed that Jesus had completely defeated death! I knew, therefore, there was no reason to fear.
We learn from the Bible that our existence extends beyond this life on earth. I suspect we all know this innately, too. Death is a doorway to eternity. Unfortunately, our sin has separated us from God. He could have left us in that state, but thankfully He didn’t. He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. We receive this gift of salvation by repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus as Savior. This, in turn, gives us assurance of spending eternity with our Creator.
When facing death, we are confronted with what we truly believe. After all, we stake our lives and our eternity on Jesus’ promises. Are His claims accurate? Is Jesus really who He said He was? I believe the answer to these questions is yes. Without getting into a detailed explanation that won’t fit in this short post (it would turn into a book!), I’ll just say that I’m convinced the Bible is a reliable source of information, and I have seen and experienced the supernatural work of God. Such faith changes not only how I deal with death but also how I face life. Jesus is worth living for, fully and completely.
I found such peace when my father passed away because I knew he had trusted Jesus. He’s the one who, along with my mother, taught me all about Christianity in the first place. When his life on earth was done, I could rejoice that it wasn’t the end. His life continues, but now he is in a better place.
When someone dies in Christ, Jesus doesn’t take away the grief and sadness, but He takes away the despair and fear.