Norman Vincent Peale tells the story of the time he was invited to a luncheon in the great dining room of the London newspaper, The Times. Around the table sat distinguished editors and writers, as well as prominent businessmen. He had been invited by Lord Thomson of Fleet who owned 285 newspaper publications around the world. The conversation at the table ranged over world affairs, politics, the prospects for prosperity, and many other related topics.
But suddenly, in the middle of all the discussion, Lord Thomson said, “Dr. Peale, I’m an old man, and one of these days I’m going to die.” Immediately, an uneasy hush settled over the distinguished group of men. But he continued, “I want to know: is there an afterlife?” Dr. Peale hesitated for a moment, but then realizing the seriousness and the depth of the question he said, “I believe in the promises in the Bible. But beyond the Bible is the evidence of intelligence and common sense.”
“Suppose that somehow you could communicate with an unborn baby, who was still lying near its mother’s heart. And as you began to talk you tried to explain to that unborn child that in a short while he would not be able to continue life as he knew it. He would no longer be able to remain suspended in the protective, warm womb of his mother, but would have to leave and begin life in another world. You would call it ‘being born,’ but the unborn child would think of it as death. The child might even resist and say, ‘I do not want to leave. I am warm, loved, secure and happy.’ But the moment of birth comes in spite of his wishes. It seems to the child that he is violently expelled from life as he knew it. It is a cold, rough, uncomfortable environment at first. But in the next instant the child finds himself in the loving, adoring arms of his parent. He sees things he never knew before—things he could never have imagined. He realizes that this new world is a wonderful place, far greater than anything he could have experienced in his former state.”
“The years pass, and the child grows to have children of his own. As time goes on his step begins to slow, and he begins to realize that it is time to pass into yet another world. Some would call the passing death, others would call it birth. He might begin to object and say, ‘But I do not want to die. I have my loved ones, the security of my world and all its wonderful experiences. I want to stay here.’ But in the natural course of things, he dies. What happens then? Is God suddenly going to change? Or, can we not assume that this man will once again feel accepting arms beneath him, and be greeted by those who love him and were anticipating his arrival? Will he not look up into the strong, beautiful face of his heavenly Father who whispers words of love and excitement at his arrival? The violent expulsion into this new life will soon be forgotten as he looks about him and sees things he has never seen before; things which his mind could never have imagined.” There was a settled hush in the group as the reality of what Dr. Peale was saying sank in.
I believe there is real truth in Dr. Peale’s parable. If God has given us such a wonderful world here, with all its beauty and pleasures, what would ever make us think that the next life will be something frightening and horrible? It would be against all we have experienced, all God has promised, and all we know of His love and character. To believe that it will be a dull, boring existence with nothing for us to do also goes against both experience and reason; not to mention the fact it contradicts all the scriptures tell us about what God is preparing for us. The Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Even the tragedies of life will not cloud the glory of the world where God will bring us, for the Bible says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.... What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:18,31,32).
It is this great fact that enables Christians to go through life with an invincible confidence. There is the knowledge that the worst that life can bring can never truly harm them because they belong to God, and even death cannot hurt them, it can only bring them to God. The resurrection is the greatest single event in the history of the world. The stone has been rolled away. And it has not simply revealed an empty tomb. The tomb is not vacant so we can see its emptiness. Christ is absent from the tomb, certainly, but only because He is somewhere else. The tomb was a doorway to heaven, and when the stone was rolled away we began to get a glimpse into God’s kingdom. The black, depressing pall of death is forever blown away by the fact of the resurrection. The grave is not our resting place. It is a passage—a corridor to the eternal. The chains of hopelessness are broken and despair has vanished as we look at the reality of the resurrection. The stone’s been rolled away.
Tennyson once asked, “Will our existence end up as rubbish thrown to the void?” The Christian answers his question with a resounding and triumphant, “No!” Job, of the Old Testament, in his despair asks, “If a man dies, will he live again?” Then he proceeds to answer his own question: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (Job 14:14; 19:25,26). The Christian is able to say with the Apostle Paul: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). What he means is: life is good because Christ is here with us, and death is even a greater opportunity to come closer to Him. So for the Christian, death not only loses its sting, it is looked on as an opportunity. Paul felt this dilemma in his heart. He said, “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:23,24).
Be grateful you are a Christian, for none of the other world religions even come close to the Christian doctrines of the resurrection and eternal life. That is why we know that it is of God. The manmade religions came up with the best they could think of, but they could not approach what God has shown He has in store for us. Jesus Christ has not only overcome death, He has freed us from its fear. When we overcome the fear of death, we overcome all other fears as well.
Buddha did not teach about the resurrection. The thought never occurred in his teachings. He taught about reincarnation, and that the only way to escape the endless cycle of reincarnation was to renounce all earthly desire. Enjoying life and experiencing pleasure were strictly forbidden. Incidentally, reincarnation was never taught as a positive doctrine or something good, as some in our culture seem to do. Reincarnation is seen by the Buddhist as a trap, an endless cycle of despair, from which you must try and escape, and from which few ever do.
A few years ago the newspapers carried the story of an important find for those of the Buddhist faith. Two small gold bowls were discovered which held the tiny bone fragments of their leader, Buddha. They were discovered in a temple near Beijing, China. The mayor of Beijing, where the remains of Buddha were found, said the relics were “one of the important discoveries of Chinese history and Buddhism.” The bowls were found five years ago inside five progressively smaller boxes in a cave of the Yunju Temple. The announcement of the find was delayed because they were waiting “for an auspicious moment” to reveal the good news.
The good news of the Christian faith is that there are no bones of Jesus to be found. The stone’s been rolled away, and He is not there. He is not just gone, He is risen and reigning. We have a living Savior!
Easter is the turning point of history. The world before Christ, and those today who do not know Christ, can hardly live for the fear of death. So much is lost of life when we spend our days in dread and fear of getting old. Because of Christ, every day I spend here is one day closer home. So many people spend the precious moments of their lives dreading death, avoiding it, and worrying about it. Through Jesus Christ we can face it, overcome it, and live. We are not really prepared to live until we are prepared to die. But the stone’s been rolled away. Life does not end, it only has fresh beginnings.
It is interesting to me that we are involved with trying to live forever in so many foolish ways. I recently heard of people having their heads preserved after physiological death, in the hope that someday the technology will exist to reattach their head to another body that can no longer live due to head injury. Cryogenics is another technology which is looked at hopefully by many. They have their diseased bodies fast-frozen in the hope that when the cure for their disease is found they will be able to be thawed and cured, so they may continue their lives. Those false hopes can never compare with the certainty and reality of the resurrection. For us, the stone has been rolled away, and the heaviness has rolled off our hearts. We do not look into a grave, we look into heaven—the home of our everlasting, ever-loving God.
Dr. James Dobson’s magazine, Focus on the Family, had a fascinating story about a young boy named Jeremy. Jeremy was not an ordinary child. His body was twisted and his mind was slow. He was 12-years-old, but still in the second grade. The teacher often found it difficult to teach him, or even have him in the class. He was often a distraction to the other 18 students who were five years younger than he. But his parents wanted him in the school because he liked it and the nearest school for the disabled was several miles away where they would not be able to be with him. The teacher decided to let him stay, out of consideration for the parents and the fact that Jeremy was terminally ill. One day, near Easter, the teacher handed out large plastic yellow eggs to everyone. She asked them to bring the eggs back to class the following week with something inside that showed new life. Jeremy could talk well at times, the clouds seemed to occasionally clear from his mind. But today he just stared into space as the teacher explained the assignment. The next week all 19 students came laughing to school and put their eggs in the large wicker basket the teacher had placed on her desk. In the first egg, there was a flower. The teacher explained that a flower was certainly a sign of new life since it grew from the ground in the spring. In the next egg was a plastic butterfly which was very lifelike. The teacher talked about how butterflies changed from caterpillars to a new life as a butterfly. Finally, she came to Jeremy’s egg which had nothing in it. She carefully put it aside, realizing Jeremy had not understood the lesson. But as she picked up the next egg, Jeremy said, “Teacher, aren’t you going to talk about my egg?” “But Jeremy,” she said, “your egg is empty!” He looked into her eyes and said, “Yes, but Jesus’ tomb was empty, too!” The teacher was struck for a moment, and then said, “Do you know why the tomb was empty?” “Oh yes!” Jeremy said, “Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up!” The recess bell rang and the children ran out to play, but the teacher was forever affected. Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who came to the funeral home were surprised to see 19 plastic eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.
The stone was rolled away! He is not there, for he has risen, just as he said. And because he lives we shall live also (John 14:19).
Shirwood Wirt writes about a personal experience in one of his books with these words: “I rolled a stone in front of my heart and hung out a sign that said: ‘Keep Out,’ while I set about my life’s work accumulating snakes, rats, spiders, roaches, salamanders and other specimens of contemporary culture. Until God, my Father, spoke to me one spring morning through brilliant sunshine saying, ‘That stone has got to go.’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Because it is Easter. Christ has just left the tomb and is starting out for yours.’”
That’s it. That is the message of Easter: The stone’s been rolled away. Christ has just left the tomb and is starting out for yours. That stone has got to go.
Rodney J. Buchanan
Easter, April 24, 2011
Amity United Methodist Church
rodbuchanan2000@yahoo.com
