In the last couple of weeks, I have come face to face with death. It started with the tragic, sudden death of my uncle Jay, which certainly hit close to home, and even now is still difficult to believe. Now, famous Apple CEO Steve Jobs has died, which has been a hot topic of discussion. Halloween is also fast approaching, so retail stores are stocking their shelves with Chinese trinkets that point, directly and indirectly, to death.
I have thought a lot about death lately, and have concluded that it is a wicked (perhaps the most wicked) perversion of God’s creative order. God is Himself life. Death, by definition, is the antithesis to life, and the logical progression of a creation separated from the Author of life. Romans 5:12 says that death enters through sin. Sin is the oxygen that fuels the fire of death. To deal with sin is to deal directly with death itself.
I know someone who has become obsessed with self-preservation. Because of this, she orders her entire life around extending it. She is rigidly disciplined about what she eats, what activities she enjoys, when she sleeps, what the air quality is around her, and the list goes on and on. She holistically has ordered her life around trying to avoid the inevitable. Her situation is not unique, either. Billions of dollars is spent on life extension and preservation, and it is all aimed at preserving life with sin. Everyone agrees that life is good, and death is bad, but many fail to make connection between our dependence on the author of life, and how sin separates us from Him, which naturally results in death.
Below is the second half of my uncle’s eulogy. I attempted to bring this issue to the forefront of the minds of the individuals who were there, and show them that their only hope is to trust and treasure the death of the source of life Himself, and see His power over death in His resurrection. My only regret (though I’m not sure how I would incorporate this concisely to mainly unbelievers) is that I did not clearly explain spiritual death, of which physical death is only a precursor. Perhaps there will be more opportunities in the future. As a result of all of this, the gospel has never been sweeter to me. Take a moment now to thank God for sacrificing His own Son so we could be free from sin and death
Today, we’re sad that he’s gone. We want to celebrate his life, but no one here can miss the obvious: death is evil, and it is wrong. Everyone recognizes the fact that death is an intrusion, it’s invasive. Even though it is a certainty for all of us, we like to pretend that it doesn’t exist. I want to honor my uncle, not just by celebrating his life, but by explaining why the reality of death should not intimidate or frighten any of us. We don’t need to be afraid of it. We don’t need to ignore it!
The truth is, God created everything… and he created it good (Gen 1:31). He created us, men and women, without death. He is good to us, and gives us many good things: life, family, love, food, shelter. We owe our existence to Him. He designed this world without death, but we failed. He said to Adam, “do not eat this fruit, or you will die.” Adam did not listen, and neither do we. We impose upon ourselves death by our sin. We have all sinned against God, and death, as horrible and tragic as it is, is the result.
This is what the Bible says: “therefore, just as through one man (Adam), sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so… death spread to all men, to you, to me, to your neighbor, cousin, brother, aunt, uncle… and now, to Jay… He said this death spread to all people because all sinned. We don’t have to wonder why. We know. Of course, Physical death is only a precursor to the real tragedy, which is spiritual death, and complete separation from God.
What we need is our sin problem to be dealt with. And here’s the good news: it was! The reason Jesus Christ came, and lived the life He lived, was so He could take upon Himself the punishment for our sins, namely death. He paid the ultimate price for our freedom by taking upon Himself what we deserve because of our rebellion, and if you would turn from your sins, and turn towards Him, He will save you, and physical death will be something you no longer have to fear. Funerals truly become celebrations because we know that it is not the end. Your funeral will truly be a celebration not just because you have lived a good life, but because your funeral is only the beginning of your life.
Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will live even if he dies (John 11:25-26a). Christ died for our sins, and he was buried, and he was raised on the third day. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those, like my uncle Jay, who are dead. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (I Cor 15:3b-4; 20-22).”
If you want to honor Jay’s death, then strike the fear of death from your hearts, in this life and the next, by turning from your sin, and trusting and believing the only one with the power to conquer sin and death, Jesus Christ.
