Time with Jesus - Thursday, 16
February 2012
Hi all,
I
suspect that I can say without contradiction, none of us celebrate the fact
that, unless Jesus Christ returns before it happens, every one of us will die.
When it will happen we do not know. Frankly, we don’t want to know. If we did
know in advance, would anyone celebrate the date every year? Even if the date
was many years in the future, how would we react? Perhaps we would call it our “death-day”
and start counting backwards toward it. It sounds a bit macabre but would it
help us live better lives? It’s more likely to encourage us to live a more
debauched lifestyle. We would probably invent a man-made repentance program. It
could commence when our death was a defined number of days ahead. I suspect the
Lord would see any such repentance as repulsive. But it is the sort of thing on
which wickedness in the heart of man would thrive
Something
which exacerbates the situation is that we have never seen or known a place
where death doesn’t rule. Our gardens are fertilised with the decayed remains
of flowers and leaves. We eat slaughtered animals and dead fish. We know that
we are all going to die. In spite of this, we reproduce children with death
written into their genes. We look around us at creation and we have never seen
it death-free. In fact death is so familiar to us that it has become a normal
part of daily living.
Jesus
Himself recognised that mankind was subject to dying and death. He referred to this
obliquely in John’s Gospel. 24 I tell
you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is
planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone.
But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives.
25 Those who love their life in this
world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will
keep it for eternity. John 12:24-25 NLT Since
He is the author of creation, I’ve no doubt these words were spoken with great
sadness in His heart. Reading His words we get the feeling that He is saying, “This
is what My creation has come to!” Like a man looking at the remains of his home
after being struck by a tornado, the difference between what it had been and
what it had become would be sufficient to drive Him to tears. Thankfully there
was an “upside”. He knew what His future death upon the cross would achieve. He
also knew the “fullness” of what it would be. His followers can only accept by
faith what the resurrection will mean.
We
are told that medically, there is no reason why we should die. Our bodies
should be capable of living indefinitely. Our cells should be able to continue functioning
ad infinitum. They don’t! It seems there is something in our genes which
triggers a self destruction process. After a certain interval, the cells are
contaminated. This guarantees our eventual death. We think it is a purely
medical certainty. But that’s not the complete story. The body is contaminated
by sin. To defeat it we need a miracle from God. We need new bodies. We need
the fullness of the new creation. In and through Jesus Christ we know that it
is the heritage of a Christian.
Without
arguing about theological interpretations, we can state that the return of
Christ will trigger the miracle of our being physically recreated. The actual
sequence and process of this keeps Bible students disagreeing with each other
in a most unchristian way. Frankly, there is no reason why we shouldn’t simply
accept the fact that it will happen. It will take place according to His agenda.
Our theological opinions are all irrelevant. In fact I’m rather looking forward
to fellowshipping with those who disagree with my views completely. It will be
wonderful to be able to embrace each other in His presence and forget about the
things that have divided us. We will probably laugh with each other and rejoice
in His love. I can hardly wait. Even so, Come Lord Jesus!
Today’s
meditation looks takes a look at death and concludes with our celebrating Jesus
Christ and the death of death.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
The Death of death
There’s something very tragic
in the fact that we will die.
Eternity is in us. So why
should death apply?
Knowledge deep within us,
revolts against this fact.
There’s nothing about dying
that could possibly attract,
Anyone to long for it. It’s
never been our goal!
It seems to contradict the
things which seek to make us whole.
It can’t be made appealing. It’s
horribly rude!
It seems to come upon us at any
interlude.
No matter what we’re doing, it
strikes us down at will.
It always interrupts us when
the time has come to kill.
We struggle to postpone it. But
it won’t stay away.
And when it comes to call for
us, we cannot tell it nay!
There in Ecclesiastes, we read
the human heart,
Is something rather beautiful. Death
couldn’t ever start,
Unless it had permission to
interfere in life.
Satan brought in sin and death,
through Adam and his wife.
They swallowed the forbidden
fruit and so the deal was done.
The only way to fix it, was for
God to send His Son,
To capture death and swallow it;
then sin could reign no more.
So Jesus Christ our Saviour came
and neutralised that score.
No longer are we victims; We’re
never going to die.
The instant that we “pass away”;
we’ll be with Christ on high.
Our bodies may not function.
Besides, they’re getting old.
And we will get a new one!
That’s what God’s Word’s foretold!
We know we’ll be with Jesus while
our new one’s being made.
It has some better features we
are told will never fade.
We know it will be timeless and
always at its best.
It will not wilt or perish and
forever will be blessed.
We’ll walk upon the water and we
will never sink.
We never will grow weary; our
one and only drink,
Will be His living water; We’ll
dine on Heaven’s bread.
And know that for eternity to
Jesus we’ll be wed.
I know it sounds fantastic; but there is so much more.
|
We’ll gaze upon the Holy One; we’ll
worship and adore,
The One Who made it possible. We’ll
be with God Most High,
Living in a home were death
itself has had to die.
A recreated paradise that Jesus
Christ designed.
That’s the place God’s Holy
Word has promised we will find!
Jim Strickland – Written 16th February 2012 |
