Peace in the Face of Death
Can we be honest and say that death is a topic we don’t like to talk about? I can’t think of a time I’ve been at dinner with friends and we talked about the reality that this life is finite and we could drop dead at any moment. It’s not a pleasant conversation to have. In 2020, it’s kind of at the forefront of our minds, is it not? For the first time in my life, the entire world is fighting 1 common enemy, Covid-19, and we are going to great lengths to upset every aspect of our lives to ensure we aren’t susceptible to it’s demise. The majority of us are not scientists or epidemiologists and are blindly following our elected officials and hoping in every word they say to save us. Do we trust in Jesus and follow Him as faithfully to save our lives?
I’ve lost family members super young. My sister died at the young age of 27 to a rare and aggressive cancer that spread like wildfire through her body and only gave her 5 months before ending her life. It was shameful to talk about the reality of her impending death in my family, and my attempts to share hope and faith with her were met with much animosity. So we pretended until the end and then watched her slip away before our very eyes.
Denial will not save us. Death is coming. Whether from Covid-19 or cancer or an aneurysm or a heart attack or a slip on the bathroom floor, the one thing we have in common across the globe is that one day this life will end. I’ll be the awkward person and bring it up. Are you prepared for your death? What do you believe will happen when you close your eyes for the last time and your physical body takes its last breath?
When Jesus rose from the dead, He provided peace for all of us for all time in knowing that this life is not the end. There is a future and there is a hope. Jesus came to ensure that you can spend eternity with Him. We can have peace in the face of death knowing that we have put our faith in Jesus and He has reconciled us through His death on the cross.
We have all changed so much about our lives in the past few months to avoid death. Whether Covid-19 will lead to our demise in the near future or we’ll face another illness later on, we will all face a day when this life will come to an end. If we want to have peace in the face of death, Jesus proved to us that He is the antidote when He rose from the dead.
In Luke chapter 2, we meet a man named Simeon, who had been waiting at the temple for many years to meet the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph arrived with Jesus, Simeon responded with worship and joy, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32). Simeon had no fear of death after meeting Jesus. He saw that his salvation was at hand and there was nothing to be afraid of. He was completely at peace knowing that God had fulfilled His promises and sent a deliverer.
Simeon had faith in what was to come, he saw beyond this life with its suffering and pain. He trusted in God and rejoiced in Jesus. You see we can try as hard as we can to delay our death, we can follow all the rules, eat all the healthy things, do all the exercise, yet the more we focus on our flesh and try to save it the more we will lack peace. “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6). So we continue to be wise and steward our bodies well, but we focus our minds on God and walk with him, and that is where we will find true peace in the face of death.
Death is certainly a fearsome enemy, but that enemy has been crushed by Jesus and we can have peace and hope no matter how close its shadow looms, as we look forward to a new and better day. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself with be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
And He who was on the throne said ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Revelation 21:3-5)
