1. Today is “Easter” on the Christian calendar
a. Annual remembrance of Jesus’ resurrection
b. In Churches of Christ each first day of the week is to remember the Resurrection
c. To get to Jesus’ resurrection, he had to go through crucifixion and the grave
d. On that first day of the week exciting things happened:
• The disciples saw the empty tomb and the grave clothes
• They encountered angels with instructions
• Some even encountered Jesus himself that day
e. We are not sure of all that happened while Jesus was in the tomb but his resurrection gives us courage and hope (1 Corinthians 15)
2. Have you ever stopped to think of what it is like to die?
a. There are books and movies on NDE – some had positive NDE and some had frightening ones
b. The movie, “Flatliners” was about medical students who wanted to experience death scientifically, so they took turns stopping their hearts while their friends would wait the prescribed amount of time and restart their hearts. They would record what they experienced and compare notes.
c. I have documented 97 funerals that I have conducted over the years. On occasion I have stopped and wondered what the deceased person might be experiencing at that moment.
3. God could tell us what it is like to pass from this life to the next but does not seem to share the same angst about it that we do.
a. Mt. of Transfiguration – Jesus met with Moses and Elijah; both are in the same place
b. Lazarus in John 11 – no one asks, “What was it like?”
c. Nor with Jesus in his resurrection
4. Questions we have about the afterlife:
• What is it like?
• How long will it take to reach our destination?
• Will we remember our time on earth?
• Will we recognize loved ones?
• What determines our final destination?
• We cannot answer these questions by mere human reasoning or experience.
5. Maybe he does give us a little insight into the afterlife in Luke 16.19-31
a. Parable or Reality?
b. Either way, it is insightful for us
I. The Reminder of the Reality of Death
A. Defining Death – James 2.26
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
1. Corpse; lifeless; separation
2. Spirit – wind; breath
3. God breathed life into Adam; Adam would die because he was separated from the tree of life and God -- lifeless
B. Death is Universal
1. Wealth Can’t Stop It
• [Wealth often brings privilege and special treatment – “Do you know who I am?”
• Wealth is often thought of as a sign of God’s approval and poverty, his disapproval – Job; Pharisees and Sadducees
• We pay for improved physical appearance; Health; Intellect – money doesn’t stop death
• The Rich Man was:
o Wealthy and self-serving – Abram was blessed by God to bless others – that is the purpose of wealth;
o Not Torah-Observant – Purple and fine linen – mix of wool and linen – prohibited in Deuteronomy 22.11
2. Poverty Doesn’t Change It – Might think of poor having special blessings – inherit the earth, etc. not in this case
a. Beggar – Lazarus or Eliezer in Hebrew (Abram’s servant in Genesis 15.2) – crumbs from the rich man’s table
b. Ill as well as poor – sores; “laid at the gate”
II. The Revelation of Eternal Destiny
A. Prophetic Prediction
Daniel 12.2 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
B. Presented in the Two Characters
1. Lazarus – a place of
• Paradise with Abraham (Matthew 8.11)
As paradise with Jesus – Luke 23.43 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Philippians 1.23-24 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
2. Rich Man in Torment – Hades, place of the dead
• Consciousness – recognized Abraham; Lazarus; remembered brothers; despairing
• Not there because of wealth – selfish/law-less; chose HIS way above God’s way
• CS Lewis once said that there are two kinds of people in the world. One says to God, “Your will be done.” God says to the other, “YOUR will be done.”
• When we get ourselves into a lost condition it is because we chose it, either out of ignorance or rebellion and consequences follow
1. A possible order of events when we die:
• Departure of spirit from body; as a butterfly sheds its cocoon we fly away with the angels
• We enter the imminent presence of the LORD
• We will be in a perfected state when we participate with Jesus in his return – 1 Thessalonians 4.14-18 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
• We will have a new, glorified body – 1 Corinthians 15.51-52a 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
• Judgment – Revelation 20.11-12
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
2. We can look back on our lives and see mistakes, bad choices, regrets
3. Good news – 1 Corinthians 4.5 Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
• Jesus went to the cross to fix it for us – we can make things right with God by him –
2 Corinthians 5.20b We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• Because of HIS work, we can be comforted – Luke 16.25
• Because of HIS work, we don’t have to regret in eternity – Luke 16.27-31
• We can’t go back
• Power of scriptures and the mission of the people of God – if we won’t believe, we won’t believe of a person came back from the dead; btw, One did return from the dead – do we believe?
4. We have hope today, not because we are so good and sinless but because HE was and HE paid the price for us and HE has an empty tomb as a sign for us.
5. Last week we shouted Hosanna! This week, “Hallelujah!”
