It takes my breath when I think about the final and ultimate moment in which, this life will end and I will depart this veil of Flesh. The body will cease functioning and the mind as an organ will stop. This will be the most profound and intense future moment of Our Lives and we will not live in this realm anymore, to tell about it. The thought of it is incredible and gripping. Many think they deal with it, by not dealing with it. Yet, earthly mortality is real and each of us will surely face it.
I choose to face this Prospect now. Yet, Certain things bring me great comfort and peace, as I continue to draw ever closer to this final precipice. The first and foremost is the promise of Christ. That where He is we will be also. (Jn.14:3) That He has gone before to prepare a place for us. This brings me great joy and comfort.
If these were the words of a Madman, liar or fool, it would bring me no comfort. But that the greatest, most miraculous personage in all of human history spoke these words gives great impact to their meaning.
That it was He, who stood for truth in His life and emulated the highest example of good and Holiness. That it was this Divine man, Whom absolutely declared that there was an eternal Destiny of great Beauty for His followers. That Christ spoke these words is truly an incredible assurance and great hope. (1st Peter 1:3-4, 2 Corinthians 4:17&18, Romans 8:18).
The life of Jesus has been totally and empirically verified as a true event of History. So His claims must be dealt with as real claims, from a real man, who individually changed the course of human existence.
And not only must the claims be considered as coming from a history transformer. But also there is a great and logical case that this world-changing man really did raise from the dead.
The testimony of eyewitnesses and first hand accounts must be treated as powerful evidence. That not only are the claims of Jesus coming from a history transformer but also from the one in mankind’s history, most qualified to solve our worst problem. It was this Divine man of miracles, who has made the best claim to solve our worst problem: death.
So as we face this bone shatteringly important and ultimately final event, of our lives. What a wonderful Serenity there is in knowing these incredible claims come from the only miraculous man: For which, there is an intelligent case to be made that He saw death and came back. How much greater does this make our serenity. Knowing that it was the self-stated mission of Jesus; to come back to tell and prove to us, the promise of Eternity.
I think a lot about the apologetic, ontological argument. For me “God is that Being other than which nothing greater can be conceived.” Anselm of Canterbury first spoke these words. But they ring true in my heart today, with great confirmation.
On top of the assurances of Christ’s promise, Christ’s life, and the witness of the scriptural texts; there is an amazing amount of assuring confirmation of the hereafter, in God’s Gift of nature.
Look how the seed planted in the Shell dissolves in seeming destruction. Only for the Resurgence and Rebirth of New Life to Come from its former shell. Look at the amazing intricacy of how a caterpillar seemingly, willfully spins its own demise. In the perfect certainty that it will become something more wonderful thereafter.
There is still no more excellent explanation of how the wonderful soup of biological ingredients that this Earth provided, became immensely beautiful, intricate and diverse organisms with myriads of difference and detail. Than the thought that an incredibly intelligent Being was in fact expressing creativity and design, through the life we witness around us.
So then if this life is actually the product of a Being, incredibly beyond our capacity to imagine; then certainly our best acknowledgement is a life of service to this Being. And honestly giving the full expression of our giftedness and love service in life is only our justly due way, to express gratitude. Additionally, if this life is actually the product of that Great Divine Being, then does it not make sense that the culmination of this life would also be a part of His plan?
And how can there be a better preparedness for that final breathtaking moment of life? When all that we know here shall cease to be; Than a deep internal knowing, that we have spent ourselves and given ourselves freely and lovingly away to that benevolent Being? So I freely give myself to that Being, Whom alone shall control our Eternal destiny; in whatever the Eternal domain truly shall be.
There can be no better conclusion to this little article of mine than the following:
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 2 Corinthians 15:54 NIV
