Death for the Lost

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from John 8:51, ” Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death. “

Background

Someone once said, ” Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils. “
Madame de Stael said, ” We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love. ” Another wrote, ” It’s crazy how someone who used to be a huge part of your life, can be gone in a second. ” Even in the fifteen or so seconds it took you to read those opening quotes, approximately thirty people around the globe died. Death is as real and pervasive as the sun’s light on a clear autumn day. Sayings abound as to its imminence, its finality, and its certainty. But even as death does not squash our hope, it is confusing to hear Jesus promise that anyone who keeps His word shall never see death. So to understand it, do we need to more fully grasp the concepts He is conveying? Each of us has known faithful followers of Christ in our lives, and somewhere along the way at least one of them has died. And no matter how it occurred, the death was a painful, heartbreaking experience for many. But if Jesus is true to His words, then what we witnessed and what that person experienced was not the death that Christ spoke of. And if the person died at a young age in a horrific manner, that is still not the death that He is referring to. No, regardless of how bad the accident was, or how unexpectedly the end came, or how deep the hurt was that was left behind, there is a death awaiting those who do not keep the words of Jesus that we have never seen or heard of.

Application

It is death to such a degree that to all of us who are in Christ, the end of our lives shall be as merely a drifting off to sleep, only to awaken in the presence of our Savior. We shall not have tasted death at all, while those who have not placed their hope in Christ shall experience all that is beyond our imagination. So keep the words of Jesus, and consider the fate of those who still have a real and horrific death awaiting them. They may think they need all this world has to offer, but all they really need is a Savior.

Charge

As we seek Him today, use for God’s glory these 86,400 seconds that you will never get back again.