Happy New Year, 2011
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Editor,
Here we are, once again saying, “goodbye” to the old year and welcoming in the new; which of course means that we are one year closer to the end of our lives. Morbid thinking; far from it; it would be extremely foolish for anyone to go through life and not consider their death, the grave and the resurrection.
This past week I attended a memorial service for a long-time resident of Lake County; during the service a good friend of mine read some lines from the Bible about our mortal bodies becoming immortal and these corruptible bodies that we now have becoming incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15, the entire chapter is about the resurrection of Jesus and subsequently, our resurrection. The writer vehemently insists that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is our guarantee that we will also be resurrected.)
We ought to give thought to the words which Jesus spoke to Martha, the sister of Lazarus on the day He raised her dead brother’s body from the tomb. Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying,” John 11:25 (New Living Translation.) People have been thrown into jail for teaching the resurrection of the dead, Acts 4:2-3; however, without the resurrection, death would be a hopeless end. Jesus promises eternal life to everyone who receives Him, John 3:16, John 1:12. I read some time ago about a tombstone in a Wisconsin cemetery that had this inscription: “To all who pass by, as you are now, so once was I; as I am now, soon you will be; prepare to die and follow me.” Some very wise person scratched on the stone below the inscription, “To follow you, I’m not content, until I know which way you went.”
Death, the grave and the resurrection are common denominators for all us; some will be raised to eternal life (heaven) and some will be raised to eternal death (hell), Revelation 20. Our relationship with Jesus in this life determines our final destiny.
As we say farewell to 2010 and welcome 2011, we’ve grown a year older; hopefully, wiser; and better prepared for death, the grave and our resurrection.
Harvey A. Town
Polson
