The Great Joy In A Believer's Death

 March 23

"Most assuredly, I say to you,
'if anyone keeps my word
he shall never see death.”
John 8:51

How can Jesus say that if one keeps his Word, he will never die?

When one questions the validity of a Scripture passage, one way to learn more about it is to look to see if the same principle is repeated elsewhere in the Scriptures. This particular Word of Jesus Christ IS repeated:

When Jesus comes to raise Lazarus from the dead, he once again makes that remarkable statement:

"And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
Do you believe this?”
John 11:26

How can this be? We've all known believers who have died. But Jesus's question resounds: "Do you believe this?"

When a believer closes his eyes in this world, he immediately opens them in heaven. So truly, every believer in Jesus Christ simply changes location when they leave this world. The Word of Christ is absolutely true.

The death of a believer therefore, is a glorious thing. He will immediately be welcomed by loved ones who had gone on before; it will be an experience filled with "joy unspeakable and full of glory."

If every believer could thoroughly understand this, death would no longer be the terrible thing most think it to be. Once the joy and embraces are finished ...the believer ...will be taken to meet ....Jesus. There is no joy that can even come close to the joy of a believer being welcomed by his Creator, the One he/she believed in.

Death - It's the story of a ship leaving the docks. On the waterfront the loved ones are waving and sobbing as the ship departs. But on the other side are shouts of glory, "Here she comes!"

And that is death, the only death the believer in Jesus Christ will ever know.