Birth and Death

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:29-31 ESV). An article in the Washburn Law Journal has this to say about death, "A fundamental understanding of man's nature recognizes when brain death occurs, a human being no longer exists." This understanding of human nature is entirely materialistic. A human being is viewed as a bundle of chemicals and electrochemical activity. The complex mechanism of our bodies evolved from a single cell over the course of millions of years. When death occurs, we cease to exist. We are the products of chance. We are destined for extinction! We came from cosmic dust and when we die it is to cosmic dust we are destined to return. Our tombstones reflect this belief having only the dates of our birth and our death. And our world is filled with pessimism! The picture that Jesus paints is entirely different than this. In our reading this morning Jesus teaches that no sacrifice in this world could be too great compared to the reward waiting for us in heaven. The historic Christian faith presents a whole different picture of life after death than the world at large. This life is but a prelude to the life to come. Death does not end it all. In fact, those who follow God through Jesus Christ have a wonderful future life to which they may look forward. Death is a step out of this world into another world of eternal bliss. An unknown author offers the following poem, End of the Journey: Light after darkness, gain after loss; Strength after weakness, crown after cross; Sweet after bitter, hope after fears; Home after wandering, praise after tears; Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain; Sight after mystery, peace after pain; Joy after sorrow, calm after blast; Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last; Near after distant, gleam after gloom; Love after loneliness, life after tomb; After long agony, rapture of bliss; Right was the pathway, leading to this. One day when George MacDonald, the great Scottish preacher and writer, was talking with his son, the conversation turned to heaven and the prophets’ version of the end of all things. “It seems too good to be true,” the son said at one point. A smile crossed MacDonald’s whiskered face. “Nay,” he replied, “It is just so good it must be true!” There is no need for pessimism when Christ is your Savior! Death is not the end, only the beginning! Is that the life you are living? It can be, if you will place your trust in Him!