The family gathered around the casket one last time. With many tears, they said goodbye to their loved one. The pain they felt was apparent; their grief was written on their faces. As the casket was closed, in a near whisper one voice said, "At least now he has gone to be with Jesus."
For this family, questions about what happened to a Christian after death were a major concern. This question also troubled the Thessalonians when believers died before Christ returned. What did that mean? Were they still in fellowship with Christ? Would they receive Christ's gifts? Today, rather than worry that earthly death separates someone from Christ, we often think that upon earthly death, the person is then joined with Jesus.
Paul words to the Thessalonians also address us. Jesus Christ died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. When this earthly life ends, we are not separated from Jesus, nor is it a gateway into fellowship with Jesus. Whether we are awake or asleep-alive or dead-we live together with Christ. There are two deaths that put us into fellowship with Jesus, and neither is our earthly death.
First, we are in fellowship with Christ because He died for us. Christ satisfied the penalty for our sins. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). While we still die a natural death, our death is not eternal. Christ bore the eternal consequences of our sin on the cross by suffering death and hell in our place. Our sin, which would have separated us from Him, was overcome.
We died the other death that joined us to Christ through the power of Baptism. There we were baptized into Christ's death. We died with Christ, so we might live with Him forever (Romans 6:3-4). Whether we are awake or asleep, those two deaths keep us joined with Christ forever!
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son. Because of our sin, we deserve only wrath. Yet, You joined us to Your Son through His death and our dying with Him in Holy Baptism. Help us to live as Your people in the certainty we are joined to Christ forever. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Written by Pastor Chris Lieske
St. Paul Lutheran Church - Montevideo, Minnesota
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