“Are you ready to die?” was the first question posed to a prospective student at Magdalene College at Oxford in an interview with its president Thomas Goodwin.
The interview occurred about the same time John Bunyan wrote his magnificent Pilgrim’s Progress. The question was a good one, because in Goodwin and Bunyan’s day, death was more of an imminent reality than in ours due to infant mortality, rampant disease and plagues.
In our day, death seems to be much more of a stranger. We have immunized ourselves against many diseases, life expectancy continues to rise, and we simply don’t think about death as many in previous eras have.
In late May, our church endured three funerals. I say “endured” because funerals are hard. People we loved are separated from us in death.
As I reflected on so much death just in our own church family, I was reminded of the time in Bunyan’s dream when Christian approached the gates of the Celestial City at the end of his journey. Yet, before he could go through the gates, he had to go through a river (death). He was afraid as he crossed the river, as the waters grew deeper and began to cover him. Bunyan writes with surprising candor about the struggle of death.
I think it’s good for us to reflect on death occasionally. When we do, we should think about a few specific truths.
First, death is a reality for all mankind. Benjamin Franklin famously wrote in a letter that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Because of that, second, we should not be afraid to talk about death. People who ignore death and avoid speaking about it will also avoid, third, the importance of preparing for death.
According to the scripture, death is not the end of existence for human beings but rather the gateway to an afterlife, spent in either heaven or hell. It is essential that a person is prepared for death and what comes afterward.
Preparing for death also helps us evaluate how we live in the present. Are the priorities and pursuits of our lives the ones that really matter? Should we reorder our lives now in light of the limited time we have?
For Christians, the struggle of death is real but is overwhelmed by the victory we have over it through Jesus Christ our Savior. He triumphed over death, and so will all his followers. Though we die, the Apostle Paul encourages us with the truth that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord.
Christians do not have to fear judgment after death because the Lord Jesus suffered on the cross for our sins, paying our penalty so that we never have to.
It is a joy to follow such a Savior and have confidence of eternal life. I pray that each reader will find such confidence in him.
Brian McCrorie is senior pastor of Heather Hills Baptist Church in Cumberland. This weekly column is written by local clergy members. Send comments to [email protected]
