Jesus' resurrection takes the fear out of dying

Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal.— Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Several years ago, I was talking with a friend, and just happened to mention that a famous Broadway producer we met on a cruise had died. My friend looked straight at me and said, "I'm ready." I didn't realize what she meant until a few days later when I received a call that my friend had died. As shocking as the news was, I took comfort in the fact that she didn't fear death. You might say she looked forward to it because she was a Christian.

Christians die like everybody else, and often from all the bad things in this world that kill everybody else. The difference is when Christians die, they know they won't stay dead forever. According to Christian belief, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will never really die. This truth is rooted in God's unshakable promise of eternal life to anyone who accepts his Christ.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT

I haven't faced the moment of death personally, but I have been present when others have. You can tell a lot about a person by how they face the moment of death. Their last words, the look on their face say a lot about the kind of life they lived. For instance, some people curse God as they are dying, others make last-minute pleas for forgiveness, which God does honor.

And then, there are the true Christians. You can tell by the radiant look on their faces, as they lay dying, that they must see heaven open up and angels descending to take them home. When my mother died from MS at age 83, she had that look. I was happy for her, and I admit a little envious because I knew without a doubt she was heading for a place where she'd be more alive than she'd ever been in life. For the believer in Christ, death is the fulfillment of this scripture:

And we are not afraid but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 TLB

Easter marks a sacred time on the Christian calendar because it symbolizes Christ's victory over death, and by association, the victory of every believing Christian. Essentially, that's what Jesus' resurrection means in a world of believers and non-believers. Refusing to believe doesn't change or negate the reality of what Jesus accomplished. The Scriptures tell his story:

Jesus died a physical death on the cross and was raised by God's spirit from the dead. Christ's resurrection is evidenced by the empty tomb in Jerusalem, by the written testimony of his disciples in the Gospels, and by the more than 500 sightings of others who encountered  Jesus after his resurrection prior to his ascension into heaven.

What Jesus did made death merely an event, not a dead end. Christ's resurrection took the sting out of death. No wonder Christians don't view death in the same way others do. Christians see death as a home-going. Christian songwriters write songs like Soon and Very Soon and I Can Only Imagine that celebrate the certainty of an afterlife. Christians know that one day they will see this Jesus, who died not only for their sins, but also for the sins of everyone. No one needs to hold onto a fear of death because Jesus is alive.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  Romans 5:1 NLT

This post is dedicated to the family and friends of the 150 people who died tragically in the Ethiopian airliner crash (March, 2019), to those persons who lost friends and family in the Alabama tornado (March 2019) and to survivors of natural disasters and wars everywhere in the world.  

The soon return of Jesus Christ: Fact or fiction?

Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil

Easter, as celebrated by Christians the world over, marks the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday. According to biblical accounts, after he was resurrected from the dead, Jesus ate, talked and met with his disciples. He was also seen by about 500 others during the 40-days before he ascended into heaven. But the story doesn't end there. The Bible foretells a second coming of Christ to earth at a future yet undetermined date. The Easter observance  serves to bring this prediction into even sharper focus at this time of the year.

Over the years, many people have claimed to know the exact date of Christ's return only to look foolish when their predictions proved wrong. This is not surprising since even Jesus himself doesn't know the exact date of his return, only God knows. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matt 24:36-37). Nevertheless, there are still some people who try to trump the Creator by claiming to know the date of Christ's return.

A more recent and perhaps the most widely publicized example is Christian radio broadcaster, Harold Camping. After suffering a minor stroke, Camping later apologized for his heresy. Likewise, doomsday predictors have made predictions through the years about when the world would come to an end, again only to be proven wrong. Whether you believe that the world will end or in Christ's return is irrelevant. Ultimately, what happens and when it happens rests solely with God, notwithstanding your belief in him or lack thereof. Like in Fantasy Football , there will be winners and losers when Jesus returns. But until then, you get to decide on which team you will end up.

                                        The Resurrection Will Not Wait*

You won't be able to sit at home, brothers and sisters. You won't be able to tune in to CNN, NBC, BBC or CBS. You won't be able to make a run to the store real quick, or finish baking a cake for the Sunday school picnic because the Resurrection will not wait.

Let me say that again in case you missed it, "THE RESURRECTION WILL NOT WAIT!" The Resurrection will not wait for you to go to the drive-thru at McDonald's for a breakfast sandwich to go. There will be no delay until Shaq and Kobe win another championship.

The Resurrection will not make its worldwide comeback on Broadway or bring in the New Millennium at Paris' Folies Bergere. The Resurrection will not be shown on OWN.

Nor will there be no Lifetime movie starring Matt Damon or Kevin Hart as Jesus. The Resurrection will not be rebroadcast on cable in three parts. Or "On Demand," tivoed, or DVR'd for viewing at a later date because the Resurrection will not wait.

When the Resurrection comes, you will not be able to sign up for a crash course in Bible. The fact that you watched "The Passion of the Christ" on DVD won't count as righteous living. Serving on the church Usher Board, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School is your reasonable service, but won't earn you bonus points for the trip home when the Resurrection comes.

When the Resurrection comes, it won't be enough to have that old time religion. You must be born-again. The fact that you've belonged to the same church for umpteen years won't matter. You must be born-again. What part of "all have sinned" don't you understand? You must be born again when the Resurrection comes.

Make no mistake, the Resurrection is coming. No man knows the hour, day or year when Jesus will appear. So keep your lamp burning bright 'cause it could be tonight. Keep watch at all times and pray 'cause it could be today. Think you've got plenty of time? Think again or you'll be left behind when the Resurrection comes.

Make no mistake, Jesus is coming back. With the voice of the archangel and trump of God, Jesus will call the faithful up from their graves. Next, the redeemed who remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the sky. Everyone singing worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, riches, wisdom and might; honor, glory and blessings.

Every eye will see it, everywhere. Every eye everywhere will see Jesus when the Resurrection comes. When the Resurrection comes, it will not wait, will NOT wait for you to get ready. When the Resurrection comes, it will be too late.

*Copyright Carolyn K. Erwin

Marshmallow cross: Taking a bite out of Easter

"A symbol of Christianity that sits atop church steeples, dangles from necks and hangs on walls is being worshipped in a new way---in the mouths of the faithful." (Associated Press)

First, there was the Easter bunny, and then Easter eggs and Easter baskets…and now, a chocolate covered marshmallow cross? Like many, I have been guilty of purchasing an Easter egg or two in my lifetime; but I draw the line when it comes to condoning this latest insult to one of Christianity’s most sacred symbols---the cross. And if that weren’t enough, this sacrilegious little candy confection is being sold at Wal-Mart, a company founded on the principles of faith and family.

One would think Christians would be up in arms over this blatant mockery of the cross. But candy manufacturer Russell Stover, who first came up with the idea of the candy cross, didn't seem to think so. In fact, Stover admits that the marshmallow cross was specifically designed to appeal to the Christian market. The success of Stover's candy cross prompted Whitman's Candy et al to cast other Christian icons in chocolate. Also available are praying hands and a “Jesus” fish symbol, both in solid milk chocolate. Apparently, there are enough Christians out there, who see nothing wrong with taking a bite out of the cross and letting it melt in their mouths. What’s next, I ask you? For now, Stover and Whitman have stopped short of offering a replica of a chocolate covered Jesus on the cross because they didn't think it would go over as well.

A sacred symbol of Easter

If all this seems outrageous, it’s because it is. Sadly, the response of the Christian church to this outrage has been far too tepid. Where are the store boycotts, protest marches, and pulpit denunciations of those who demean and mock this sacred symbol of Easter, the holiest day on the Christian calendar? Interestingly enough, I have yet to see candy replicas of the Qur’an or the Torah, or Muhammad or a mezuzah? No self respecting Jew or Muslim would stand for it. Should a candy cross be any less of an insult to Christians? Some may choose to sugar coat the issue; others may say it’s no big deal. But I wonder “WWJD?” As for me, I prefer the bloody, wooden cross of Calvary where Jesus died for the sins of the world, over a marshmallow cross any day. It just makes Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning that much sweeter.