We are getting closer to the day that we commemorate Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection. I was thinking of this today and wondered what was going through His mind some 2000 years ago.
It is obvious that Jesus didn’t want to die a terrible death at just 33 years old, but He gave His life willingly, asking God to spare Him but then saying “nonetheless your will be done” to His father in heaven.
But before He reached that stage I’m quite sure He spent several restless nights thinking about it. Though we believe in God with all of our heart and are sure that we will enter heaven when we die and it will be so wonderful that we’ll never see a tear, or experience sadness, or sorrow, or sickness and disease, or sin or death, we still want to hang on to this old sinful life. Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt because she could not let go of the old life as they escaped to the new.
It’s a paradox really. I have faced death many times. Once I was caught in a violent storm far offshore. Waves were crashing over the bow and would run the length of the boat and splash into the keel as it banged into another wave.
We were still 38 miles offshore and I really thought that there would be no way we would survive. I gritted my teeth and muttered, “Well, I guess this is it”, but somehow we were spared and made it home seven and a half hours later.
I have been in two head on collisions and three cars that rolled multiple times. I should have died. It is amazing how much went through my head in what could have only been seconds, but I remember it being very loud as the car rolled over and over crashing the pavement with each roll. I fully expected that I would die with the next crash. But here I am and those are just faded memories.
God spared my life those times and several others. Why I don’t know. I assume it was because my purpose was yet unfulfilled. One day He will call me home and I do hope that no one makes a big deal out of it. I will be with my Creator and my time will have come and gone. Don’t cry tears for me because I will be in paradise making the most of it.
I try to make the most of whatever opportunity that I have left, because we will not come this way ever again. I wasted much of my life and I regret that, but there is yet time to do something for the Lord. When my purpose has been fulfilled to His satisfaction, He will call me home and my children and grandchildren will take my place.
Today you too have opportunity to do something for the Lord. I urge you to take advantage of it while you have some time. Don’t get so wrapped up in the world that you become a salt block. Eternity is forever, but the same cannot be said for life on planet earth. Even Spock didn’t hop on a space ship and fly away to a distant planet; he was laid to rest, much to the chagrin of the Star Trek nerds.
When the veil was lifted it was no Hollywood fiction. He faced almighty God. He was either welcomed into heaven with open arms because he loved the only Son of God, or told to depart forever because He rejected the only Son of God.
How about you? If you die today, would you be welcomed with open arms or separated for eternity in a place called hell. You have a free will; use it to call upon the name of Jesus and declare that He is LORD of your life.
Acts 2:21
But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.
March 3, 2015 – Click here to listen