The Worst Place To Die

THE WORST PLACE TO DIE

John 8:21-29

(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday Morning, May 25th. 2025)

Death is not a subject that we enjoy thinking about. However, despite efforts by doctors, rescue workers, and other medical professionals worldwide, the global death rate remains constant at 100 percent.

The Bible tells us in James 4:14 that life is “a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.” Hebrews 9:27 proclaims that "it is appointed unto man once to die"

- Throughout history, men and women have died in some strange ways and in some strange places.

Fagilyu Mukhametzyanov from Kazan, Russia had been wrongly declared deceased by doctors on June of 2012. The horrified 49-year-old began screaming when she realized they were getting ready to bury her. She was rushed back to the hospital, where doctors had declared her dead (again) from a suspected heart attack.

Canadian lawyer Garry Hoy died in a building while trying to prove that the glass in the windows of a 24th floor office was unbreakable, by throwing himself against it. It didn’t break but it did pop out of its frame and he plunged to his death.

In September 1998 Paul Stiller and his wife were inebriated and bored. They decided to cure their boredom by taking a midnight drive with a couple of sticks of dynamite. Their plan was to light the dynamite and throw it out of the window. But as a result of their drunken condition they forgot to roll down the window. Paul died and his wife was critically injured.

Several years ago CBS News published an article entitled "The 5 worst places to die". The article begins by stating "There's no avoiding death—but some places are "better" places to die than others." The study ranked 80 countries for their "quality of death." Researchers looked at factors such as the overall sedative care, healthcare environment, the availability of healthcare professionals, and the affordability and quality of care. The 5 worst places to die were: Iraq, Bangladesh, Philippines, Nigeria, and Burma.

I would submit to you that these are not the worst places that one could die. In our selected text Jesus makes it abundantly clear that the worst possible place that you can die is "in your sins". The reason that this is the worst possible place to die is because of the consequences of dying this way.

Luke 16 tells us of a "rich man" who died in his sins. After he died "he lifted up his eyes in Hell"; he was suffering in the midst of eternal fire and “tormented in the flames”; he begged for just "one drop of water to cool his tongue."

Jesus described hell as a place of "weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth". Hell is a place of torments, never ending fire, and unquenchable thirst; it is a place of suffering, separation and sorrow.

Multitudes will draw their last breath and find themselves condemned and facing these torments. Why? Because they chose to die in the worst place ever. They will face eternal damnation because they died “in their sins”.

The Lord Jesus warns of the consequences of rejecting Him. There was a time when He tried to warn the Pharisees, but they refused to listen. They died in their sins and as a result they are in Hell today. I pray that you will learn from their error.

- I would like for us to examine Jesus' warning to the Pharisees and consider "The Worst Place To Die".

In verse 12 of this chapter, Jesus proclaimed that He was "the light of the world". He told the Pharisees that those who would follow Him, would not “walk in darkness, rather, they would have the light of life.” Tragically, (as usual) the Pharisees rejected Him.

In verses 20-29 Jesus reveals the consequences of rejecting Him as Messiah. Those who rejected Him then, experienced spiritual death. Those who reject Him now, will experience the same!

- This passage shows us who it is that will die in their sins. Verses 21-22 reveal that:

THOSE WHO ARE DECEIVED WILL DIE IN THEIR SINS

v21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

Jesus’ statement that He was "going away" is a reference to His impending death, resurrection, and ascension. These were all aspects of the promised Messiah that had been revealed in prophecy.

The Pharisees were experts in all matters concerning the Law. They knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah and they had long awaited the arrival of the Promised One. The Messiah was right in front of them and they missed Him! As a result, they would “die in their sins”.

Like those Pharisees, there are many people in our day who will die in their sins because they are deceived. They are extremely religious people who have "checked all of the boxes". They have joined a church, gone through baptismal waters, attend services on a regular basis, give tithes and offerings, say their prayers and read their Bibles.