THE BIG 6
Is there hope in the face of death?
Is there hope in the face of death?
“He’s gone.” For some, those words are a terrible bombshell exploding into their lives devastating all in its path. For others they bring a sense of bitter relief from the effects of a loved one’s illness. For many, the words open the door to agonising regrets.
Everyone’s experience of hearing that news is different, but one thing is the same for all of us: at some point, we’ll have to hear those words. At some point we’ll sit in the front row at a funeral. And at some point those words will be spoken of us.
I’ve felt the sting of death in my own family and I know the wrenching pain it brings to lose someone I care deeply about. Yet I also know the joy and comfort of hearing the Gospel’s answer to death.
The Bible tells us that death isn’t natural and wasn’t part of God’s creation. It is an imposter that came into the world because of sin and it cannot be dealt with without first dealing with its root cause.
That is exactly what Jesus Christ has done! The Son of God himself came into this sinful world and knew what it was like to face the bombshell of a loved one’s death. Yet Jesus didn’t simply come so he could sympathise with us in our loss; he came so he could put things right. The sinless saviour lived the perfect life that we never could and then subjected himself to the death that you and I deserve. We have broken God’s law repeatedly. The wages of our sin is death. But Jesus has paid that debt himself.
Now, because of Jesus’ perfect life, death and resurrection, we can be forgiven. If we turn from ourselves and put our trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of sin, we will have eternal life. Is there hope in the face of death? Jesus said, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).
