Death

Jesus and his disciples were in the area of Caesarea Philippi when he asked them what people were saying about him. What was the word on the street? The disciples told him that some believed he was John the Baptist; others said he was Elijah, and still others thought that he was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked the most important question:

David was a mighty warrior who conquered the enemies of Israel. He was a great king who led Israel into peace and security. So it is with Jesus, the Son of David. Born of human lineage, Jesus was fully man and fully God.

We call it Good Friday. But “good” hardly describes what was happening, especially as Jesus’ mother stood at the foot of the cross.

How do you know for sure? How can you know that you are a child of God? How do you know for certain that you will go to heaven when you die? You have trusted in Jesus and do your best to follow him, but how can you be confident that when you close your eyes in death, you will open them to see the Savior?

Have you ever heard the term “mortification of the flesh”? That’s how theological writers of old termed what Paul presents in our passage today. These writers understood the spiritual battle—the old life, ruled by the sinful nature, versus the new life, ruled by the Spirit.

The Spirit of God lives in you. That’s the amazing truth for every true believer. And when the Spirit of Christ lives in us, that changes everything.

We can get settled in this life of ours. We describe our activities with words of permanence. We get married and “settle down.” We become “established” in our careers. We “build” a house. We acquire stuff—some cool stuff—that we appreciate and enjoy…sometimes a little too much.

Over the last few days, we have been following a man who was concerned about his soul. He was young and wealthy and claimed he had kept all the commandments since he was a boy. Now, Jesus calls his bluff.

There are many circumstances and challenges in our lives that we don’t understand. From our perspective and from our pain, they simply do not make sense. Death comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Illness invades a healthy body, and we watch it waste away. An accident results in chronic pain.