In perhaps the most forgettable Indiana Jones movie “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”; Dr. Jones is lamenting the loss of loved ones. He turns to Dean Charles Stanforth and asks, “Brutal couple of years, huh, Charlie? First Dad, then Marcus”. The response has stayed with me from the first moment I watched , Dr. Stanforth replies:
“We seem to have reached the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away.” An interesting take, and a point well made. On the doorsteps of my 42nd birthday, I seem to have entered that part of my life. I lost my mother early on, but in the last several years I have lost my father and several others (friends and family) in my life and so, as a man, I struggle with my own mortality. The Apostle Paul wrote three things that come to mind when you consider mortality. Around 57 AD, Paul wrote to the Romans: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (12:1) Around five years later he wrote to the Philippians: “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all” (2:17) And about five years after that in 2 Timothy 4:6-22, an amazing passage of Scripture, most likely the last letter Paul wrote, and therefore this would have been the last passage he wrote before his martyrdom. In verse 6, he wrote: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come” Alistair Begg pointed out this process in Paul’s writing from the exhortation to offer your lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 57 AD), to the realization that martyrdom is a very real possibility (Philippians 62AD) to knowing that martyrdom is an imminent reality (2 Timothy 67AD). Again, Pastor Begg points us to the understanding that Paul had of death for the servant of Christ. Notice in 2 Timothy 4:6 he used the term “departure”. Paul defines what he means by departure 5 years earlier again in Philippians, in Chapter 1 verses 21-23, he says: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” “Depart and be with Christ” what a great promise, what great hope! And to summarize Paul’s words in Romans 8:18-25, he said:
There is coming a day, and on that one day, our Joy as Christians will be complete. Our bodies redeemed, our souls forgiven and free, Christ himself will put an end to our pain, suffering and tears. We will never again experience death. Thank you Jesus. Reference: Alistair Begg’s full sermon can be found at: https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/death-and-dying/
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