| R.Tigga
St. John's Church, Sikandra, Agra
There is one great fear common to all men,
which is greater than all others fears.
It is a fear which paralyzes men all of
their lives. It is the fear of death. From
one point of view, death is the most natural
of things “Man is destined to die
once”(Hebrews 9:27). From another
it is most unnatural. Bible speaks of death
as the result of sin. In the garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve were instructed by God to refrain
from the forbidden fruit with the accompanying
warning –“…for in the
day that you eat of it you shall surely
die” (Genesis 2:17). But they disobeyed
God’s command and were subjected to
punishment: “In the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread, till you return
to the ground, for out of it you were taken;
for dust you are, and to dust you shall
return”(Genesis 3:19).
In the New Testament death is treated as
that, from which people are saved. Jesus
came to put an end to death. He took upon
himself man’s nature “So that
by His death He might destroy him who holds
the power of death –that is, the devil”
(Hebrews 2:14).
As Jesus was approaching the time of His
death, He gave comfort and assurance to
his disciples:- “Do not let your hearts
be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in
Me. In my Father’s house are many
rooms; if it were not so, I would have told
you. I am going there to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come back and take you to
be with Me that you also may be where I
am.
You know the way to the place where I am
going …I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.” (John 14:1-4,6)
Even though the disciples had been with
Jesus and witnessed His power over death,
they were in no way different than anyone
else, when it came to the fear of death.
Jesus gave comfort to His disciples by telling
them that His death was to be the means
by which they would dwell with Him forever.
He also assured them that during the time
of His physical absence, He would be even
more present with them through the Holy
Spirit (the Comforter), to dwell not only
among them but within them. The disciples
dreaded Jesus death because they thought
it would separate them forever. Jesus encouraged
them by assuring them that His death was
the means by which they would dwell with
Him forever. The disciples did not understand
Jesus at that time, but they did after His
resurrection from the dead and they no longer
looked on the death of Jesus with dread,
but with joy and hope.
The Resurrection indicated His victory
over death and that victory has been made
available to His people. Those who believe
in Him are “free from the law of sin
and death” (Romans 8:2). Death, can
no longer separate them from God. Jesus
said that “if anyone keeps my word
he will never see death” (John 8:51).
Such words do not deny the reality of biological
death, rather they indicate the truth that
because of the death of Jesus, believers
have passed altogether out of the state
of death. They are brought into a new state,
which is aptly characterized as life. They
will in due course pass through the gateway
of death, but the stings have been drawn.
The death of Jesus means victory over death
for his followers.
Therefore, those who believe in God should
not be afraid of death. Instead they should
ask God for more strength and should be
full of joy and hope for they “will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
And this thought has beautifully been summed
up in following lines from a famous hymn:-
“Hold Thou thy word before my closing
eyes,
Shine through the gloom and point me to
the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s
vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.” |
