Putting Death in Perspective

Death hurts. Just ask the men who suffered the excruciating loss of their dear friend and teacher on a cross. Christ’s death hurt them so deeply that they huddled together in self-isolation (John 20:19). One of them, Thomas, even isolated himself from his friends and entertained serious, depressive doubts about his faith (John 20:24-25). Others had been so shaken that, even after the resurrection, they nearly abandoned their God-given mission (John 21:1-3).

We face similar challenges today. Though death always lurks in the shadows, it feels like a monster running loose in the streets right now, knocking on our doors, banging on our windows, and busting into our houses. Every day we hear news of friends, relatives, friends of friends, and relatives of friends who are sick, dying, or dead due to the coronavirus.

In times like these, we need to review our doctrine. We must put death into perspective and embrace the reality of the resurrection with open arms. Since Christ lives, death loses. His resurrection reduces the pain of death in the present and the presence of death in the future. For those who know Christ, death is nothing to fear, as sad and sobering as it may be. That’s why we should keep on living and serving with confidence and resolve, even as death casts its long, dark shadow upon us.