Living Life in the Shadow of Death
/My 8-year-old daughter asked me what the highest number is? Like, if she keeps on counting and counting, she will eventually reach a number that’s at the top of all the numbers. I tried to explain to her that numbers don’t work that way, but they just keep on going and going. She seemed let down that there was not a biggest number. So, I looked it up and from what I can tell the biggest number with a name is googolplex. I found there are countless articles out there about the biggest number, LOL!
The word “eternal” is used in scripture in various ways. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word “olam” is used sometimes in the sense of a cycle or an age or meaning unlimited, everlasting, continuous, perpetual and to the vanishing point. In the New Testament the greek word “aionios” is used to mean age, ages, eternal, without end, never to cease, and everlasting (ISBE, Strongs). We get our word eon from this word, which in geological terms refers to a billion years. If you are alive for a hundred years or more people think that’s an extraordinarily long life. Our concept and understanding of time seems distorted and limited in this world but also our concepts of life and death seem distorted and limited.
In 2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV it says:
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Our perception of life, perishing(death), and time can take radically different meanings depending on the perspective we choose to view them.
2 Corinthians 4:18NIV says:
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
There is a paradigm shift between seeing through the natural and the spirit.
One of the main desires and focus of mankind since our existence on earth has been to just not to die. Part of the great fear of death many have, is the belief that when they die that’s it, lights out, you die and then there’s nothing. There is also a natural fight or flight instinctual element to the fear of death. So, we have this survival instincts coming up against our knowledge of deaths inevitability. This creates a deep fear of death and the great unknown. This can be like a shadow or specter on your life. So, in the forefront of our mind right now is a virus that has killed thousands and effected many people’s lives. But the reality is 155,000 people die on average on the planet every day in normal times. So, whether it’s today or 10 years from now or 75 years from now death is coming.
Life goes by like a flash and then we are going to die. Whether it is the coronavirus or I slip on a banana peel walking out the front door of my house and die, death is coming one way or another. I will never forget an experience I had in the first few weeks of the corona virus news really hitting my neighborhood. I was in Walgreens and the guy in front of me in the check outline had a full fledge gas mask on while he was buying up all of the cigarettes. There’s some kind of absurdity in that kind of irony. I don’t mean to be flippant about physical death but just trying to point out the stark reality of our predicament.
Hebrews 2:14-15 says:
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
There is literal bondage and slavery connected to the fear of death and it is one of mankind’s deepest feelings. But it does not have to be this way. We do not have to fear death or the unknown. Instead of just being scared of death we can be ready to die. I believe the only way to die and not truly be afraid of death is that you have received eternal life. Is there such a thing as everlasting life? If you believe the Bible there is. Have you been born again? Have you had the experiential witness within yourself that something amazing has happened to you when you accepted Christ into your life? It wasn’t only that you were forgiven of your sins, but you became a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”.
The eternal life is in the blood of Jesus. The life that’s in his blood is from God, the Zoe (eternal) God kind of life. That life is everlasting and that’s the life Christ gives to those that would believe on him.
When we believe on him and we are born again and we possess the eternal life of God we can overcome the fear of death. We can live fully engaged in this life without the tentative grip of fear of death and loss. If you possess eternal life you will never die and when the point of physical death comes you will not taste death or experience death because Jesus already experienced it for you.
Hebrews 2:9 says:
“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
Christ is with us to the end and beyond and we are never separated from him.
Psalm 73:23-26 says:
“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
He literally holds and guides us into glory!
John 5: 24 says:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
If you believe, according to Jesus you HAVE (present tense) everlasting life. He’s talking about crossing over from spiritual death to spiritual life now.
Look at this extraordinary exchange in the gospel of John between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus:
“Now there was a prominent religious leader among the Jews named Nicodemus, who was part of the sect called the Pharisees and a member of the Jewish ruling council. One night he discreetly came to Jesus and said, “Master, we know that you are a teacher from God, for no one performs the miracle signs that you do, unless God’s power is with him.” Jesus answered, “Nicodemus, listen to this eternal truth: Before a person can perceive God’s kingdom realm, they must first experience a rebirth.” Nicodemus said, “Rebirth? How can a gray-headed man be reborn? It’s impossible for a man to go back into the womb a second time and be reborn!” Jesus answered, “I speak an eternal truth: Unless you are born of water and Spirit-wind, you will never enter God’s kingdom realm. For the natural realm can only give birth to things that are natural, but the spiritual realm gives birth to supernatural life! “You shouldn’t be amazed by my statement, ‘You must be born from above!’ For the Spirit-wind blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going. So, it is within the hearts of those who are Spirit-born!” Then Nicodemus replied, “But I don’t understand, what do you mean? How does this happen?” Jesus answered, “Nicodemus, aren’t you the respected teacher in Israel, and yet you don’t understand this revelation? I speak eternal truths about things I know, things I’ve seen and experienced—and still you don’t accept what I reveal. If you’re unable to understand and believe what I’ve told you about the natural realm, what will you do when I begin to unveil the heavenly realm? No one has risen into the heavenly realm except the Son of Man who also exists in heaven. ”And just as Moses in the desert lifted up the brass replica of a snake on a pole for all the people to see and be healed, so the Son of Man is ready to be lifted up, so that those who truly believe in him will not perish but be given eternal life. For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.” - John 3:1-16 TPT
Eternal life is the present possession of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life is not something only to come someday in the future but through Christ we are perpetually connected to the source of life. One of the striking things about the conversation Jesus has with Nicodemus is this reference to this strange story of Moses lifting up the brass snake for the people to see and be healed. The people Israel were in the desert and experiencing a plague of poisonous deadly snakes and dying from the snake bites. But God instructs Moses to make a brass snake and lift it up on a pole and whoever looks at it will be healed. This is how Christ chooses to explain who he is and what he is about to do on the cross.
There is healing power and life when we “see” and look on Christ. It’s as simple as believing and choosing to look on Jesus. We do not have to be overcome with fear during this time of uncertainty in the world. Let us keep our eyes on Christ, the true source of peace, courage, love, joy and perpetual life now and everlasting!
Peace be with you,
Jason