“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Imagine a situation where early one morning a father rouses a child up from bed. He leads him out on a journey to an unknown destination with limited snacks and water for the way. The path winds through thickets and a dense forest feared for dangerous animals and reptiles. Wouldn’t the child have lots of questions as he silently trudges along? Where am I going! Most probably, he would be stiff scared, as he blindly moves along.
Of course we know something of the sort once happened. When Abraham took his son Isaac up the mountain, no wonder at one point, “Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” he cried ( Gen 22: 7). “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Isaac was definitely scared. This was only expected because of the uncertainty of everything around. But just as Isaac was scared; so many people are also on a journey where there are scared, especially as they get up in the years and start sensing deeply their mortality. An elderly gentleman only recently after hearing the death of his age mate confessed to me, “I am scared!”
But why! When Christ died on the cross part of his mission was to take away that burden. He says, “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” (John 14:3). Jesus gives us assurance, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). In brief, he has given us perfect assurance of our destiny.
Only those who do not know Christ should be scared of death. For unlike that child out on a dark journey with a mute father taking him through a dangerous forest, ours has cleared and pointed the way to a bright end.
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a blessing to know that you have assured all who believe in your son Jesus Christ of an eternal blessed end and none should be scared, because of faith in you, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
