Jump Start # 964

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

Death is a divine appointment that awaits each of us unless the Lord comes first. The thought of death is a topic many do not like to talk about. I suppose some feel that if we don’t mention it maybe it will go away. It never does. Death is all around us. Every night on the news we learn of car wrecks, shootings, crime and other accidents that ended in death. Death comes to all. It doesn’t matter what age you are, who important you are, how needed you are. It has taken politicians before they have completed their term. It has taken authors before they finished their books. It has taken young mothers, college students and star athletes. I had three friends die this year suddenly. The oldest was 61. I have two friends currently who are seriously ill with cancer. One, is a father who is in his mid-40’s. I remember my grandpa once saying that he knew more people who were dead than alive.

Becoming a Christian changes everything, even how we look at things. This includes the subject of death. Death through the lens of the Bible, and through faith in Christ is a whole lot different than it is for those who are not a Christian. Even the way we refer to death is different from a Christian perspective than a person of the world. The Bible uses expressions such as: gain, hope, reward, blessing, being with the Lord. The world uses terms like: gone, departed, ceased, kicking the bucket, never more.

Our passage reminds us that there is an appointment with death. God made this. We want to know why. Why do we have to die? More specifically, “Why did dad have to die?” or, “Why did my friend have to die?” The answer to the “why” is because God introduced death into the world as a consequence of sin. The question is then asked, “Why do babies die?” and “Why do young children die?” They have not sinned. We do not die because of our own sin, but as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin. We have not inherited their sin. We do not bear the guilt of their sin. We are not born sinners. However, a consequence to their sin, is that the human race is punished. We can scream ’Not fair.” We can grow an internal hatred for Adam. The reality is, had it not been Adam who sinned, we would have. Romans 3 reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We choose the temporary over the eternal. We choose the pleasure, even when it is wrong, over what is right. We choose to listen to Satan rather than God. What Adam did, we have all done in our own way. We die because the human race is cursed.

Until Jesus came, death was Satan’s greatest weapon. Everyone who died stayed dead. We know that. The few that were resurrected eventually died again. I can only imagine what that would have been like. Jesus was the first to die and rise from the grave to never die again. He conquered death. He defeated Satan. He destroyed the greatest weapon Satan had. Death has been turned into a victory because of Jesus. Paul would taunt, “Oh death where is your sting?” There is a victory over death because of Jesus.

For the Christian, death is not the end of the journey. Our story does not have a “the end” to it. We live on and on as the hymn says. Death becomes a door, only a door, to take us to the next room in God’s house. A door, called birth, brought us into this world and another door, called death, allows us to go into the next room. The world gets fixated upon death. The world is stuck on death. The world fears death. Not the Christian. It’s just a door. Forget the door, look what’s beyond the door. That’s where the Christian has his hope. This is how a Christian endures. This is how the early Christians could allow Roman persecutors to kill them without resistance, because they knew they were going to another room in God’s house. They longed for that. They wanted to be there.

What a contrast. The world is afraid of death and the Christian longs for it. The world is stunned by death, the Christian rejoices. The world can’t get past death, the Christian sees the wonderful world with Christ beyond death. To get there, one must pass through the door.

This morning, I’ve turned on a light because it was dark in my study. Won’t need a light in the next room, Christ is there. My furnace is running because it’s cold outside. Won’t need furnaces or air conditioner in the next room. My door is locked and the alarm is on. Won’t need those things in the next room. When I’m finished writing, I will get something to eat. Won’t need that in the next room. Won’t need a pill in the next room. Won’t be any sad or bad news in the next room. In the next room, I will get to see the face of God. In the next room, I won’t be tired, sore, hurting. In the next room, I won’t need glasses, false teeth, hearing aids, artificial hips or any of those things. In the next room, I won’t be discouraged, afraid or doubting. In the next room I won’t be tempted by Satan or plagued with my own failures.

The next room is amazing. There is nothing like it. It is where God is. The more I really think about that the more I just want to get up and go through that door. This is what death means to a Christian. It is Heaven. It is God’s home. Where God lives is perfection. Everything is the best because God is the best. There won’t be any second thoughts or wishing I was somewhere else. My only thoughts would be I wish the rest of my family and friends could join me right now.

My lovely wife has thrown me two surprise birthday parties. I am not a fan of those. I don’t like all the attention, and worse, it seems everyone, but me knows what is going to happen. The impression I get from the Gospels is that Jesus is very excited to take us to Heaven. He’s from there. He knows what it is like. We are like the guy at the surprise party, we are unsure. I sense a divine excitement from Jesus about Heaven. Maybe we should grasp that as well.

Have you ever noticed how many hymns we have about Heaven? There’s a bunch. They reflect upon the beauty, the joy, the peace and the fellowship with God. These songs are sung with an anticipation. Won’t it be wonderful there, is how one song sums it up.

Every time I attend the funeral of a Christian I think to myself, “lucky guy.” He’s out of this place. He’s in the room with God and I’m stuck here having to carry on. Is the death of a Christian sad? Yes, especially for the family. Tears flow, but not in hopelessness.

We sing about Heaven. Our favorite sermons are about Heaven. We like talking about Heaven. We ought to be thankful when one of us gets to go. Home safe. Home and never having to leave again. It’s not a weekend get-a-way. It’s not a brief tour. Heaven becomes our home. Heaven is forever.

This is how death ought to be viewed by the Christian. If you are not in Christ, this is a most terrifying subject. The room behind the door of death is the most horrific thing ever if you are not in Christ. We do not become a Christian just to escape Hell, but it is one reason.

One final note for those who have read this and may think that I have failed to mention Hades. Someone will write and remind me that when we die we go to Hades first. This is true. The thrust of the New Testament is not getting to Hades, it is Heaven. The room is not Hades, it is Heaven. Recently I flew to Minnesota. I had to fly to Chicago, switch planes and then go to Minnesota. When asked where I was flying to, my answer was not Chicago. Technically, I was going to Chicago, but that was not my destination. I was going to Minnesota. My destination is Heaven, not Hades. I may have a layover in Hades, but Heaven is where I am heading. Heaven is what awaits us.

Die once. Go through the door. God is waiting for you. Not so bad. Even angels are sent to carry us there. Better yet.

Roger