Death is coming into your life—are you ready? You should be ready for your own death, but there will be the death of your loved ones to deal with as well. Death brings grief and pain. In A Grief Observed, C. S. Lewis described the grief we all feel when a loved one dies: "Her absence was not so much felt at certain times or places, but her absence was like the sky, spread over everything and gray." The weight of grief can be hard to bear. The gospel brings relief because Jesus has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light

Jesus destroyed the death by taking away the unknown. Here we see people pass into death and they do not come back. Some have stories of near death experiences and we wonder if we have the confidence to believe them. Jesus destroyed the unknown of death by coming back from the grave and telling his disciples not to fear. Even before he died, Jesus told them that in his Father’s House were many rooms and that he went to prepare a place for them. If it were not so, he would have told them (see John 14:1-3). When Jesus broke the bonds of death, he returned to tell his disciples that the riches of heaven were real. We do not have to fear the unknown of death.

Jesus also destroyed the finality of death. We fear death when we see it as the end. In many ways it feels like the end. When a loved one dies, we can no longer converse with them or touch them. The great fear is that death is not just the end of this existence, but the end of all existence. We see others go and not return. We wonder about ourselves.

The passing from this life to the next is similar to the passing from the womb to birth. The child in the womb has a nice secure life. He hears muffled sounds of the voice of his mother and father. Everything the child needs comes straight from Mom. He has fingers to suck on and no hunger. I'm sure the child enjoys the life that he knows.

One day his nice little baby house goes through an earthquake. There are contractions forcing baby out of his warm, comfortable secure home. He is pushed into an environment that he has never known before. It must seem like the end of his existence. But it isn't. It is a new beginning. The muffled voices become clearer. Everything that was a comfortable but murky gray is now in living color. There is no going back into the womb, but he does not want to. This was not the end. It was birth leading to the wonderful adventure of life.

Is not the end of life similar? There is pain and discomfort, like at birth. It seems like the end. But it is not. It is another new beginning. Heaven is a change gloriously different from our life. The change is as great as what happens to us when we go from the womb to being born. Jesus destroyed the power of death by showing us that it is not the end of what is good. It is not the end, but a new beginning.

Jesus destroyed the loneliness of death by promising to be with us. In the midst of grief over someone else's death or the trauma of our own we are able to say with the psalmist, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear for thou art with me. The precious Savior takes our hand and leads us home.

The gospel tells us that Jesus has destroyed death. It is no longer the unknown to fear. It is no longer the end to dread. It is no longer a time of separation and loneliness. Jesus has brought life and immortality to light. The gospel tells us of a Savior we can rest our whole faith upon. Paul tells Timothy that he is not ashamed of the gospel or his sufferings because he knows the promised salvation is true. All he has entrusted to God will be kept safe for the day of resurrection.

This is the confidence that we are to have in the gospel. You who believe in Christ, don't be ashamed; and don't be afraid. That is the word of God for you.

God has a word for those of you who do not trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It is to remind you that this beautiful, assuring promise of eternal life is not for everyone automatically. It is for those who have given their hearts and lives to Jesus. Perhaps you have not yet trusted in Christ to be your Savior and Lord. You have heard about salvation, but not embraced Christ as he is presented in the gospel. There is a word of God for you today: death comes quickly and can be very unexpected. Now is the time to receive Jesus as your Savior. Jesus came so you too can know how he destroyed death. He has brought life and immortality to light and he gives them to those who believe in him.