“And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” In some ways this is the most amazing statement Jesus ever made because he is clearly saying that death for the believer ceases to be death at all. It is merely the continuation of life in the presence of God. That’s what Paul meant when he said that to die “is gain.” It’s also what David meant when he declared “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Jesus had this in mind when he promised the dying thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Because of the resurrection no one has to fear that their existence will be destroyed by death. In Christ there is the confidence that death is only mortality being overwhelmed by eternal life. In the same way that a baby in the womb would naturally be reluctant to undergo birth since the process looks traumatic, and there is the aspect of the unknown, he or she soon discovers a bigger brighter world on the other side with many awaiting their arrival. In the same way, a believer finds life beyond mortality bigger and brighter, and full of those awaiting our entrance.
Happy blessed Easter, Love Pastor Bob.
