The celebration, last Sunday, of our Lord’s resurrection, is a glorious reminder that for followers of Jesus, death is not a terminus, but a transition. The hope of life after death is not an empty wish. Those who die “in Christ” do not cease to exist, smothered in eternal darkness.
In my years of pastoral ministry I have seen how this assurance has sustained God’s people. I have stood beside countless graves and have read the Bible’s promises of eternal life. Those mourners were blessed with the knowledge that their departed loved ones were “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
In addition, there are examples in the Bible which illustrate this truth. They lead to the conclusion that death is not extinction. If we accept the Bible as truthful and trustworthy, then we will believe what it says about life after death.
Moses and Elijah
When Jesus took three of his disciples up on a mountain to pray, they had an experience that shattered their perceptions of reality. Jesus’ appearance was transformed. Suddenly his face shone like the sun, his clothes were illuminated, and the prophets Moses and Elijah showed up, talking with Jesus (Matthew 17:1-9).
Other important things happened, but what I want to point out is the matter-of-fact way in which this event is reported. Moses and Elijah were there, even though they had been off this earthly scene for hundreds of years. Yet here they were, recognizable, retaining their identity, talking with Jesus, very much alive.
What were they talking about? Luke’s gospel says they were discussing our Lord’s imminent death (Luke 9:31). It is likely that they understood how the crucifixion of Jesus would fulfill the Law, represented by Moses, and the Prophets, represented by Elijah. Then they were enveloped in a cloud of glory and were gone.
What are we to make of this? One lesson is that God’s people of the past have continuing, happy existence with God and the scriptures want us to believe it.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
On another occasion, some of Jesus’ detractors who denied the resurrection, challenged him publicly. They spun an elaborate tale designed to make him look ridiculous for believing in the resurrection of the body (Matthew 22:23-33). Jesus answered their crude skepticism by stating that they didn’t understand the scriptures or the power of God.
He quoted Exodus 3:6 as God’s pronouncement: “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He did not say “I was,” but “I am” their God. Then Jesus added, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
What does Jesus want us to believe? He wants us to believe that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive, enjoying unbroken fellowship with God. This is a profound argument for life after death.
The rich man and Lazarus
Jesus told a story which was intended to arouse a sense of urgency about preparing for death. The account of the rich man in hell (Luke 16:19-31) reveals a person whose character was shaped by selfishness and greed. He was not in hell because he was rich, but because he failed to prepare for eternity by seeking God’s way of salvation, revealed in the scriptures.
The other person in the story, Lazarus, was in paradise because he was a believer. On earth he was a poor beggar. In heaven, he was rewarded for his faith with eternal happiness and peace at Abraham’s side. Abraham is the supreme biblical example of faith. Lazarus had the faith of Abraham and was associated with him in paradise.
Among other things, what our Lord is teaching is the continuing existence of individuals after death. Some go to the place of punishment, others to the place of comfort and reward.
The message of Jesus’ death and resurrection is good news for those who believe it. He said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). The consequences are serious for those who reject it. There is more than one kind of life after death.
Pastor Randy Faulkner