JTB.SDG
Puritan Board Junior
Friends,
I'm not sure many of you know that our precious sister Anne (Cedarbay) has recently gone home to be with the Lord. She was such a good and kind friend to me, and prayed for me in my time of need. I was heartbroken that I didn't learn what was going on with her until just a few hours after she had passed away. She had come to my aid in my time of need; I was heartbroken I wasn't able to do the same for her. In tribute to Anne, I wanted to share a sermon I preached this last year on facing death as believers. I hope it is an encouragement. (please forgive the caps, they are just there for emphasis in the original sermon manuscript).
Genesis 49:28-50:14, Facing Death as Believers in Jesus
We're going to be talking about death tonight. People deal with the reality of death in different ways. In western culture these days, it's becoming something that people don't want to talk or think about anymore. They just ignore it; pretend it's not there (even when it's happening all around you). From what I observe in HERE in South Asia, it's almost the opposite extreme; there's a despair, a hopelessness.
The longer you live, the more you think about this. And the more the reality starts to sink in that: This isn't just something that happens to other people. This is going to happen to me. Guys, every single one of us sitting here tonight, unless Jesus comes back first, you are going to die one day. And my responsibility tonight (and privilege) is to prepare you for that day. Now, we're going to be talking tonight about facing death and dealing with death AS BELIEVERS IN Jesus. But, let me just say here at the beginning: You do NOT want to face death if you have not been made right with God through Jesus Christ. So, if that's you tonight, I plead with you to put your faith in Jesus. He came into the world and on the cross He took the punishment we deserve—the wrath of God—in our place. But if you haven't received God's forgiveness through Jesus that wrath is still there; it's very real; and it's waiting for you and it WILL come upon you.
APART from Jesus, death is a really scary thing.
But Scripture tells us that it's something very different for believers in Jesus. And tonight we're going to be talking especially about facing death AS BELIEVERS IN Jesus. I don't know how many sermons I've heard on death, but I think this is an incredibly important thing to talk about for us as Christians. Because I think that some of US too, if we're honest, WE feel a little unprepared. We know where we're going when we die, but there's still a good bit of ANXIETY. And that anxiety shows itself I think in especially TWO ways: 1) You find yourself fearing the death of another Christian you love; 2) You find yourself fearful about your own death. Now, the reality is that we're going to have to face BOTH of these things one day. You're going to lose loved ones. And one day you yourself are going to make this journey. And my job tonight is to prepare you for that. So, this sermon tonight is meant to help you when that day comes; when YOU need to say goodbye to a loved one; or when you find yourself, like Jacob, on YOUR death bed; to face death without fear.
I. In Jesus, death doesn't mean the end of your life; it's just the beginning of a glorious new chapter.
Jacob says in 49:29: “I am about to be gathered to my people. . .” Now for a lot of us, when we first think about these words, we take them as an IDIOM for death. We know Jacob is here on his death-bed. So when he says this, we just automatically take is meaning: “I am about to die.” But I want to challenge that. If you go back to Genesis 25:8, you see the same phrase being used; and HERE, it's the FIRST time it's used in Scripture, and it's speaking about Abraham. Genesis 25:8 says: “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.” Listen to what that verse is saying: 1) Abraham breathed his last and died; 2) and he was gathered to his people. Abraham being gathered to his people isn't an idiom for Abraham dying. The FIRST part of the verse talks about Abraham dying. And notice the language Scripture uses for that: Abraham “breathed his last and died.” So, Abraham “breathing his last” is associated with him dying: “he breathed his last and died.” But the SECOND part of the verse is talking about something ELSE. Again: “Abraham breathed his last and died. . .AND he was gathered to his people.” First, he dies. But AFTER he dies, something else happens; something distinct: he's gathered to his people.
So, now back to Genesis 49 with JACOB. Look at verse 29 again. When Jacob says: “I am about to be gathered to my people”, it's not an idiom for death. When Jacob uses those words, he's not talking about his death. He's talking about what's going to happen to him AFTER his death. So, again: Here is Jacob on his death-bed. He's about to die. His sons know it. He knows it. But as he addresses them, he's not thinking about death itself. He's thinking about what's in store for him AFTER death. What was in store? He was going to be gathered to his people. That's what he's thinking about. For Jacob, death was just like a plane ride—it's simply THE MEANS of getting to his next destination.
So, notice: 1) Jacob is NOT focused on WHAT HE'S LEAVING BEHIND. He DOESN'T say: “I'm about to leave this world.” Why? Because when you take a trip, you don't focus on the place you're leaving—you focus on the place you're GOING to. If you're going to Dhaka, you don't say: “Well, it's time to leave Chittagong.” No, you say: “I'm taking a trip to Dhaka!” 2) Jacob is, again, NOT focused on DEATH ITSELF. Why? Because when you take a trip somewhere, the trip isn't about the plane itself—it's about WHERE the plane is taking you. Katie and I are going back to the States for some holiday in another 9 days. Nobody's asking about the car ride to the airport or the plane we're going to take. The focus is WHERE the plane's taking us.
That's where Jacob's living right here. He's not focused on the plane ride—he's focused on where it's taking him. He's not thinking about death itself—he's thinking about the place death's going to take him.
And that's exactly what happens. Verse 33 says: “When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.” Remember, “breathed his last”, THAT'S the idiom for death. Being gathered to your people—that's what happens afterwards.
Well, Jacob was buried in a cave. We read that several times in this passage. He goes on to tell his sons in verse 29: “bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah. . .” In the Old Testament, the cave was a symbol of death. It's where you buried dead people. It was a place of sadness. A place of weeping. A place of grief. But Jesus changed all that when he came. On Easter morning, the cave lost its reputation for death and became the symbol of the RESURRECTION. His cave couldn't hold him. And Jesus was raised from the dead as the GUARANTEE that WE TOO will be raised alive again in Jesus. And THIS is exactly what we see at the tomb of LAZARUS. Lazarus had died. They buried him in a cave. There was sadness. There were tears. But then what does Jesus do? He calls Lazarus right back out of the cave. See, DEATH brings dead men into caves. But Jesus brings dead men OUT OF caves. Guys, you're going to have to go into a cave or coffin one day too. But if you've put your faith in Jesus, the day's coming when He's going to call you right back out of it. Jesus is going to call YOUR name and you will rise, and you will live and reign with Him in the NEW heavens and the NEW earth forever.
I think I've mentioned C.S. Lewis' Narnia series before; it was a series of children's books that are really filled with pictures of the gospel and the Christian life. Aslan is the main figure in the book; he's a lion; and he's set forth as a picture of Christ. Well at the end of one of the books, some of the characters find themselves sailing towards “Aslan's country.” They're in a ship and they're kind of just gliding along the water, and then all of a sudden they see something in the distance: It's a wave. It wasn't a scary wave; it didn't even move, but they were gliding towards it and the water would just kind of float over it. Well, just for a moment, they get a glimpse of something BEHIND the wave: It's a beautiful new country. They see green mountains with forests and waterfalls. And they all know that the land on the other side of the wave is Aslan's country. Well, there's a mouse named Reepicheep on the ship; and he gets out and gets into his own little boat. And then let me just read from the book. It says: “Then he bade them goodbye, trying to be sad for their sakes; but he was quivering with happiness. . .Then hastily he got into his [small boat] and took his paddle, and the current caught it and away he went. . .The [boat] went more and more quickly, and beautifully it rushed up the wave’s side. For one split second they saw its shape and Reepicheep’s on the very top. Then it vanished. . .”
The wave was just there to bring you to Aslan's country. Same thing for us: If you're a believer in Jesus, death is never the end of your life; it's just the BEGINNING of a glorious new chapter.
II. In Jesus, death doesn't mean losing loved ones for good, but only being separated for a time.
And here we can go back to that same phrase in verse 29 where Jacob talks about being “gathered to his people” (and then again in verse 33). There's lots of ways Scripture COULD HAVE put this, to talk about what happens to believers after death. But this is the way God chose to put it in His Word.
Who are the people it's talking about? Believers in Jesus that have gone before him. He talks about some of them in these verses at the end of chapter 49. He talks about a particular cave in the land of Canaan and says in verse 31: “There they buried ABRAHAM and his wife SARAH, there they buried ISAAC and his wife REBEKAH, and there I buried LEAH. . .” Just some fellow believers in Jesus that had already passed over that wave into Aslan's country. Jacob's getting ready to join them.
When the Bible talks about heaven, it NEVER talks about it as a place where it's just you and Jesus. No. It's the place where the whole people of God, God's redeemed people—from every tribe, tongue and nation—worship Him forever. Heaven is full of people. And those people are believers in Jesus. So, if you have a friend or family member who believes in Jesus, they're going to be there; they are going to be part of that people. And that means you're going to be there together. So it shouldn't surprise us that this is the way Scripture speaks about the next life: Jacob was gathered to his people.
After my son Judah was born, we were able to spend some time in Thailand with my mom and dad. They flew out from the States; we flew from here and we all spent around a week and a half together in Chiang Mai. They got to meet Judah; it was a really sweet time. But that time had to come to an end. And before we knew it, it was time to take my parents to the airport. I waited for them as they went through security. They got through and they waved, and I waved. It was really hard to say goodbye. I didn't want them to go. But it wasn't like I was never going to see them again. We were going to be separated for a time. But I knew at some point OUR family would go back to the States and we were going to see them again. Guys, this is what it's like: When you lose people you love dearly in this life, who are Christians, you're not losing them forever. You're separated for a time; but you're going to be together again. What else could it mean that Jacob is gathered to his people? What else could it mean but that Jacob's now going home to be with those loved ones who had crossed over before him?
I don't know how to make any other sense of these words. I think this is what it HAS to mean. But to be really honest with you guys, I was pretty troubled this week as I got into Scripture, as I was studying the question of whether or not we will recognize loved ones in heaven. There's a lot of good reasons to say the answer is YES, that we WILL recognize believing loved ones in glory. But there's still debate about it because there's no Scripture that just clearly tells us so. And this was troubling to me this week. Lord, why didn't you make this MORE clear? Why didn't you make it 100% certain?
Well, maybe part of the reason is this: There's nothing wrong AT ALL in wanting to see our loved ones again. And the thought of being reunited with our precious and closest friends and family is incredibly comforting. BUT MAYBE one reason God didn't make this absolutely, completely, 100% clear, is that, as much comfort as WE would get in the thought of seeing our loved ones again, God wants us to find MORE comfort in the fact that our loved ones will be home with Jesus. Maybe that's why God did it: He wants us to be MOST COMFORTED—NOT in the thought of our loved ones being with US again—but our loved ones being with Jesus. Because isn't that a much greater comfort as we think about the people we love? To know that they're leaving here to be with Jesus?
It is. It's incredibly comforting. And that's the REALITY. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:23 that he had “the desire to depart and be with Christ. . .” So for us, as believers, when we depart THIS life, we are immediately ushered into the presence of Jesus. Wow. So Paul's telling his friends: Hey, I love you guys and everything, but you know what I'm just really longing for? I just want to be with Jesus.
My wife Katie and I wrote to each other and talked on the phone for a few months before we ever met face to face. But then one day, I got to finally go back and see her. Do you think I was really sad to leave this place? No way. No offence to any of the friends here I had at that time. I had friends here, I enjoyed spending time with them. But there was nothing keeping me from getting on that plane.
Well, if we get back to the passage: Jacob dies, and Joseph is just devastated. He falls on his face; he weeps over him; he kisses him (50:1). It's a gut-wrenching scene. A man losing his dad. We're told that the Egyptians weep for Jacob for seventy days (verse 3). Then when they go back up to bury him in the land of Canaan, they stop along the way and weep there for another seven days (verses 10-11).
There's tears. There's sadness. There's loss. When we lose loved ones. And it's right to grieve. And Jesus weeps with us. Remember that passage about Lazarus again. Mary his sister goes out to Him and she's weeping for her brother; and Jesus sees her tears and the tears of those with her and He is DEEPLY moved; Jesus himself is moved to tears. Death isn't natural. It should never have been this way. So it's right to grieve. And Jesus grieves with us. But our grieving is more about US and what WE'RE losing. Because our loved ones are getting on the plane to go see Jesus. WE'RE sad. But they're not sad. They're kind of like Reepicheep; they're kind of trying to be sad for our sakes, but inside they're quivering with happiness. Just like me going back to see Katie...Get me on that plane.
Well, Jacob has been on both sides. In verse 31 he talks about burying his father. For some reason he uses the word, “they”: “there THEY buried Isaac”; but if you flip back to Genesis 35:29 you see that it was Jacob and Esau who buried their father, Isaac. So, Jacob had to bury his dad. Then he tells us later in verse 31 that he had to bury Leah. And earlier back in Genesis 35 there's the heartbreaking account of when Jacob had to bury Rachel on the side of the road. See, Jacob had to be on the other side too; throughout his life he had to be the one saying goodbye to loved ones getting on the plane. But now here he is: bags packed; ticket in hand. Flight boarding. Now it's Jacob's turn.
And guys, one day soon, it's going to be ME, and it's going to be YOU getting on that plane. And just like Jacob, we're going to have to leave loved ones behind. And as we get through security and we look back at them, we'll see them waving goodbye to us as we're getting ready to board the plane. They're weeping, they're devastated. And just like Reepicheep, we'll try to be sad for their sakes. But inside, we're quivering with happiness, because we're going to go see Jesus. We're going to see Him face to face.
So, back to our question: Will we recognize our loved ones who have gone to glory before us? As best as I can see from Scripture, I think absolutely. But I think here's the thing. When we're the ones saying GOODBYE to loved ones going home to Jesus, who are we thinking about? We're thinking about THEM. But when we're the ones GETTING ON THE PLANE, who are we thinking about?
Imagine a man coming back home from a very long war. The war's gone on for 5 years, and he hasn't seen his wife at all for that time. Now when he gets off the plane, imagine there's a crowd of people waiting for him. High school friends, relatives, buddies from work. They're all there. But who is he looking for? He sees them, he's glad they're there, but they're not really the focus, are they? Who's the focus? Where's my wife??? That's his focus. And when he sees her, that's really all that matters.
Guys, when WE die, and we get to glory, it's going to be great to see everybody else and everything, but they won't be the focus anymore. Jesus is the One we're looking for. Our Savior. Our everything. He's the One we're focused on.
III. In Jesus, death doesn't mean going on a scary and uncertain journey, but going home.
Looking back at our passage, did you notice how often it repeats the details about this burial place in Canaan? Jacob says in verse 29: 1) “bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, 2) which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite. . .” Then again in verse 32: 3) “the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” “Sons of Heth”; that's just another way of saying Hittite again. Then skipping down to verses 12-13: “Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and 4) buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.”
Why is Scripture telling us the same thing over and over again?
I think it's trying to teach us something. Jacob is dying in Egypt. Egypt is not his home, is it. Canaan was the land God had promised to give Abraham and his descendants. And so Jacob makes sure to charge his sons to bring him back up to Canaan and bury him there, in the same cave as Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. But notice what the emphasis is as Jacob charges his sons. Four times he mentions that this piece of land was purchased from this man, Ephron the Hittite. FOUR TIMES. Why? I think the reason is this: Even Canaan was never really HOME for Jacob. EGYPT wasn't home. But ultimately, neither was CANAAN. It was full of Hittites. Even Canaan was never home.
Hebrews 11 tells us: “By faith [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. . .All these died in faith. . .having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. . .as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them."
Jacob had lived in Canaan for a long time. And in the latter years of his life he had lived in Egypt. But now he's finally going HOME. And it's the same for us. Going to be with the Lord is GOING HOME.
The other night one of my girls said: “Daddy, I don't want to die.” I said: “You know what? I don't want to either.” But for believers, death isn't something we have to be afraid of. Because for us, dying isn't like embarking on some kind of scary and uncertain journey; it's actually coming home from one. If you're a Christian, the plane you're getting on isn't going to some unknown destination. It's taking you HOME. For us, right now, in this life, even when we're home we're never home. Just like Jacob, here we're strangers, foreigners, exiles; but when we cross over that wave, we finally get to go home.
Have you ever watched a war movie? What do the soldiers always talk about? They always talk about what it's going to be like to finally get to go home. They can't wait. They're on the battle-field, they're fighting for their lives. And they just long for the day they can go home. Guys, that's us. We're soldiers on the battle field. We're fighting the good fight. We have the scars to prove it. We've won and lost battles. But in Jesus we conquer, and the day He calls us is the day we finally, finally get to go home.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5: “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be AT HOME with the Lord.” To depart from THIS life is to GO HOME to Jesus.
We have a dear friend here with us who has experienced the joy of just having his son released from jail, after sitting there unjustly for so many months. And we're praising God for what He did this last week. And I hope it's okay for me to use your story as an example, but I think it fits in perfectly with what we're talking about. Now, if I had been the son of our friend, I would have been scared to go into that prison. But when they came and woke me up that morning and told me I was free to go, “scared” is not the adjective I would use. He's been waiting for this for 14 months. To get out and finally go home. To be with his dad again. And actually, I don't know who was more looking forward to him getting out of prison: I think our friend wanted his son to get out even more than his son did! And I wish I could have been there to just see what it was like. To see the moment his son walks out of the prison and to see his father just wrap his arms around him and weep.
Guys, going home to Jesus. You can use lots of adjectives: Excited. Can't wait. Longing. There's lots of words you could use to describe it. But one word you never need to use is scared. This body and this world in so many ways is like that prison. And your Savior's heart yearns for you. So when they come to tell you you're free to go, you can be sure He's waiting there on the other side for you. And his heart is bursting to see you. And to wrap his arms around you. You're going home to Jesus.
I'm not sure many of you know that our precious sister Anne (Cedarbay) has recently gone home to be with the Lord. She was such a good and kind friend to me, and prayed for me in my time of need. I was heartbroken that I didn't learn what was going on with her until just a few hours after she had passed away. She had come to my aid in my time of need; I was heartbroken I wasn't able to do the same for her. In tribute to Anne, I wanted to share a sermon I preached this last year on facing death as believers. I hope it is an encouragement. (please forgive the caps, they are just there for emphasis in the original sermon manuscript).
Genesis 49:28-50:14, Facing Death as Believers in Jesus
We're going to be talking about death tonight. People deal with the reality of death in different ways. In western culture these days, it's becoming something that people don't want to talk or think about anymore. They just ignore it; pretend it's not there (even when it's happening all around you). From what I observe in HERE in South Asia, it's almost the opposite extreme; there's a despair, a hopelessness.
The longer you live, the more you think about this. And the more the reality starts to sink in that: This isn't just something that happens to other people. This is going to happen to me. Guys, every single one of us sitting here tonight, unless Jesus comes back first, you are going to die one day. And my responsibility tonight (and privilege) is to prepare you for that day. Now, we're going to be talking tonight about facing death and dealing with death AS BELIEVERS IN Jesus. But, let me just say here at the beginning: You do NOT want to face death if you have not been made right with God through Jesus Christ. So, if that's you tonight, I plead with you to put your faith in Jesus. He came into the world and on the cross He took the punishment we deserve—the wrath of God—in our place. But if you haven't received God's forgiveness through Jesus that wrath is still there; it's very real; and it's waiting for you and it WILL come upon you.
APART from Jesus, death is a really scary thing.
But Scripture tells us that it's something very different for believers in Jesus. And tonight we're going to be talking especially about facing death AS BELIEVERS IN Jesus. I don't know how many sermons I've heard on death, but I think this is an incredibly important thing to talk about for us as Christians. Because I think that some of US too, if we're honest, WE feel a little unprepared. We know where we're going when we die, but there's still a good bit of ANXIETY. And that anxiety shows itself I think in especially TWO ways: 1) You find yourself fearing the death of another Christian you love; 2) You find yourself fearful about your own death. Now, the reality is that we're going to have to face BOTH of these things one day. You're going to lose loved ones. And one day you yourself are going to make this journey. And my job tonight is to prepare you for that. So, this sermon tonight is meant to help you when that day comes; when YOU need to say goodbye to a loved one; or when you find yourself, like Jacob, on YOUR death bed; to face death without fear.
I. In Jesus, death doesn't mean the end of your life; it's just the beginning of a glorious new chapter.
Jacob says in 49:29: “I am about to be gathered to my people. . .” Now for a lot of us, when we first think about these words, we take them as an IDIOM for death. We know Jacob is here on his death-bed. So when he says this, we just automatically take is meaning: “I am about to die.” But I want to challenge that. If you go back to Genesis 25:8, you see the same phrase being used; and HERE, it's the FIRST time it's used in Scripture, and it's speaking about Abraham. Genesis 25:8 says: “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.” Listen to what that verse is saying: 1) Abraham breathed his last and died; 2) and he was gathered to his people. Abraham being gathered to his people isn't an idiom for Abraham dying. The FIRST part of the verse talks about Abraham dying. And notice the language Scripture uses for that: Abraham “breathed his last and died.” So, Abraham “breathing his last” is associated with him dying: “he breathed his last and died.” But the SECOND part of the verse is talking about something ELSE. Again: “Abraham breathed his last and died. . .AND he was gathered to his people.” First, he dies. But AFTER he dies, something else happens; something distinct: he's gathered to his people.
So, now back to Genesis 49 with JACOB. Look at verse 29 again. When Jacob says: “I am about to be gathered to my people”, it's not an idiom for death. When Jacob uses those words, he's not talking about his death. He's talking about what's going to happen to him AFTER his death. So, again: Here is Jacob on his death-bed. He's about to die. His sons know it. He knows it. But as he addresses them, he's not thinking about death itself. He's thinking about what's in store for him AFTER death. What was in store? He was going to be gathered to his people. That's what he's thinking about. For Jacob, death was just like a plane ride—it's simply THE MEANS of getting to his next destination.
So, notice: 1) Jacob is NOT focused on WHAT HE'S LEAVING BEHIND. He DOESN'T say: “I'm about to leave this world.” Why? Because when you take a trip, you don't focus on the place you're leaving—you focus on the place you're GOING to. If you're going to Dhaka, you don't say: “Well, it's time to leave Chittagong.” No, you say: “I'm taking a trip to Dhaka!” 2) Jacob is, again, NOT focused on DEATH ITSELF. Why? Because when you take a trip somewhere, the trip isn't about the plane itself—it's about WHERE the plane is taking you. Katie and I are going back to the States for some holiday in another 9 days. Nobody's asking about the car ride to the airport or the plane we're going to take. The focus is WHERE the plane's taking us.
That's where Jacob's living right here. He's not focused on the plane ride—he's focused on where it's taking him. He's not thinking about death itself—he's thinking about the place death's going to take him.
And that's exactly what happens. Verse 33 says: “When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.” Remember, “breathed his last”, THAT'S the idiom for death. Being gathered to your people—that's what happens afterwards.
Well, Jacob was buried in a cave. We read that several times in this passage. He goes on to tell his sons in verse 29: “bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah. . .” In the Old Testament, the cave was a symbol of death. It's where you buried dead people. It was a place of sadness. A place of weeping. A place of grief. But Jesus changed all that when he came. On Easter morning, the cave lost its reputation for death and became the symbol of the RESURRECTION. His cave couldn't hold him. And Jesus was raised from the dead as the GUARANTEE that WE TOO will be raised alive again in Jesus. And THIS is exactly what we see at the tomb of LAZARUS. Lazarus had died. They buried him in a cave. There was sadness. There were tears. But then what does Jesus do? He calls Lazarus right back out of the cave. See, DEATH brings dead men into caves. But Jesus brings dead men OUT OF caves. Guys, you're going to have to go into a cave or coffin one day too. But if you've put your faith in Jesus, the day's coming when He's going to call you right back out of it. Jesus is going to call YOUR name and you will rise, and you will live and reign with Him in the NEW heavens and the NEW earth forever.
I think I've mentioned C.S. Lewis' Narnia series before; it was a series of children's books that are really filled with pictures of the gospel and the Christian life. Aslan is the main figure in the book; he's a lion; and he's set forth as a picture of Christ. Well at the end of one of the books, some of the characters find themselves sailing towards “Aslan's country.” They're in a ship and they're kind of just gliding along the water, and then all of a sudden they see something in the distance: It's a wave. It wasn't a scary wave; it didn't even move, but they were gliding towards it and the water would just kind of float over it. Well, just for a moment, they get a glimpse of something BEHIND the wave: It's a beautiful new country. They see green mountains with forests and waterfalls. And they all know that the land on the other side of the wave is Aslan's country. Well, there's a mouse named Reepicheep on the ship; and he gets out and gets into his own little boat. And then let me just read from the book. It says: “Then he bade them goodbye, trying to be sad for their sakes; but he was quivering with happiness. . .Then hastily he got into his [small boat] and took his paddle, and the current caught it and away he went. . .The [boat] went more and more quickly, and beautifully it rushed up the wave’s side. For one split second they saw its shape and Reepicheep’s on the very top. Then it vanished. . .”
The wave was just there to bring you to Aslan's country. Same thing for us: If you're a believer in Jesus, death is never the end of your life; it's just the BEGINNING of a glorious new chapter.
II. In Jesus, death doesn't mean losing loved ones for good, but only being separated for a time.
And here we can go back to that same phrase in verse 29 where Jacob talks about being “gathered to his people” (and then again in verse 33). There's lots of ways Scripture COULD HAVE put this, to talk about what happens to believers after death. But this is the way God chose to put it in His Word.
Who are the people it's talking about? Believers in Jesus that have gone before him. He talks about some of them in these verses at the end of chapter 49. He talks about a particular cave in the land of Canaan and says in verse 31: “There they buried ABRAHAM and his wife SARAH, there they buried ISAAC and his wife REBEKAH, and there I buried LEAH. . .” Just some fellow believers in Jesus that had already passed over that wave into Aslan's country. Jacob's getting ready to join them.
When the Bible talks about heaven, it NEVER talks about it as a place where it's just you and Jesus. No. It's the place where the whole people of God, God's redeemed people—from every tribe, tongue and nation—worship Him forever. Heaven is full of people. And those people are believers in Jesus. So, if you have a friend or family member who believes in Jesus, they're going to be there; they are going to be part of that people. And that means you're going to be there together. So it shouldn't surprise us that this is the way Scripture speaks about the next life: Jacob was gathered to his people.
After my son Judah was born, we were able to spend some time in Thailand with my mom and dad. They flew out from the States; we flew from here and we all spent around a week and a half together in Chiang Mai. They got to meet Judah; it was a really sweet time. But that time had to come to an end. And before we knew it, it was time to take my parents to the airport. I waited for them as they went through security. They got through and they waved, and I waved. It was really hard to say goodbye. I didn't want them to go. But it wasn't like I was never going to see them again. We were going to be separated for a time. But I knew at some point OUR family would go back to the States and we were going to see them again. Guys, this is what it's like: When you lose people you love dearly in this life, who are Christians, you're not losing them forever. You're separated for a time; but you're going to be together again. What else could it mean that Jacob is gathered to his people? What else could it mean but that Jacob's now going home to be with those loved ones who had crossed over before him?
I don't know how to make any other sense of these words. I think this is what it HAS to mean. But to be really honest with you guys, I was pretty troubled this week as I got into Scripture, as I was studying the question of whether or not we will recognize loved ones in heaven. There's a lot of good reasons to say the answer is YES, that we WILL recognize believing loved ones in glory. But there's still debate about it because there's no Scripture that just clearly tells us so. And this was troubling to me this week. Lord, why didn't you make this MORE clear? Why didn't you make it 100% certain?
Well, maybe part of the reason is this: There's nothing wrong AT ALL in wanting to see our loved ones again. And the thought of being reunited with our precious and closest friends and family is incredibly comforting. BUT MAYBE one reason God didn't make this absolutely, completely, 100% clear, is that, as much comfort as WE would get in the thought of seeing our loved ones again, God wants us to find MORE comfort in the fact that our loved ones will be home with Jesus. Maybe that's why God did it: He wants us to be MOST COMFORTED—NOT in the thought of our loved ones being with US again—but our loved ones being with Jesus. Because isn't that a much greater comfort as we think about the people we love? To know that they're leaving here to be with Jesus?
It is. It's incredibly comforting. And that's the REALITY. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:23 that he had “the desire to depart and be with Christ. . .” So for us, as believers, when we depart THIS life, we are immediately ushered into the presence of Jesus. Wow. So Paul's telling his friends: Hey, I love you guys and everything, but you know what I'm just really longing for? I just want to be with Jesus.
My wife Katie and I wrote to each other and talked on the phone for a few months before we ever met face to face. But then one day, I got to finally go back and see her. Do you think I was really sad to leave this place? No way. No offence to any of the friends here I had at that time. I had friends here, I enjoyed spending time with them. But there was nothing keeping me from getting on that plane.
Well, if we get back to the passage: Jacob dies, and Joseph is just devastated. He falls on his face; he weeps over him; he kisses him (50:1). It's a gut-wrenching scene. A man losing his dad. We're told that the Egyptians weep for Jacob for seventy days (verse 3). Then when they go back up to bury him in the land of Canaan, they stop along the way and weep there for another seven days (verses 10-11).
There's tears. There's sadness. There's loss. When we lose loved ones. And it's right to grieve. And Jesus weeps with us. Remember that passage about Lazarus again. Mary his sister goes out to Him and she's weeping for her brother; and Jesus sees her tears and the tears of those with her and He is DEEPLY moved; Jesus himself is moved to tears. Death isn't natural. It should never have been this way. So it's right to grieve. And Jesus grieves with us. But our grieving is more about US and what WE'RE losing. Because our loved ones are getting on the plane to go see Jesus. WE'RE sad. But they're not sad. They're kind of like Reepicheep; they're kind of trying to be sad for our sakes, but inside they're quivering with happiness. Just like me going back to see Katie...Get me on that plane.
Well, Jacob has been on both sides. In verse 31 he talks about burying his father. For some reason he uses the word, “they”: “there THEY buried Isaac”; but if you flip back to Genesis 35:29 you see that it was Jacob and Esau who buried their father, Isaac. So, Jacob had to bury his dad. Then he tells us later in verse 31 that he had to bury Leah. And earlier back in Genesis 35 there's the heartbreaking account of when Jacob had to bury Rachel on the side of the road. See, Jacob had to be on the other side too; throughout his life he had to be the one saying goodbye to loved ones getting on the plane. But now here he is: bags packed; ticket in hand. Flight boarding. Now it's Jacob's turn.
And guys, one day soon, it's going to be ME, and it's going to be YOU getting on that plane. And just like Jacob, we're going to have to leave loved ones behind. And as we get through security and we look back at them, we'll see them waving goodbye to us as we're getting ready to board the plane. They're weeping, they're devastated. And just like Reepicheep, we'll try to be sad for their sakes. But inside, we're quivering with happiness, because we're going to go see Jesus. We're going to see Him face to face.
So, back to our question: Will we recognize our loved ones who have gone to glory before us? As best as I can see from Scripture, I think absolutely. But I think here's the thing. When we're the ones saying GOODBYE to loved ones going home to Jesus, who are we thinking about? We're thinking about THEM. But when we're the ones GETTING ON THE PLANE, who are we thinking about?
Imagine a man coming back home from a very long war. The war's gone on for 5 years, and he hasn't seen his wife at all for that time. Now when he gets off the plane, imagine there's a crowd of people waiting for him. High school friends, relatives, buddies from work. They're all there. But who is he looking for? He sees them, he's glad they're there, but they're not really the focus, are they? Who's the focus? Where's my wife??? That's his focus. And when he sees her, that's really all that matters.
Guys, when WE die, and we get to glory, it's going to be great to see everybody else and everything, but they won't be the focus anymore. Jesus is the One we're looking for. Our Savior. Our everything. He's the One we're focused on.
III. In Jesus, death doesn't mean going on a scary and uncertain journey, but going home.
Looking back at our passage, did you notice how often it repeats the details about this burial place in Canaan? Jacob says in verse 29: 1) “bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, 2) which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite. . .” Then again in verse 32: 3) “the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” “Sons of Heth”; that's just another way of saying Hittite again. Then skipping down to verses 12-13: “Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and 4) buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.”
Why is Scripture telling us the same thing over and over again?
I think it's trying to teach us something. Jacob is dying in Egypt. Egypt is not his home, is it. Canaan was the land God had promised to give Abraham and his descendants. And so Jacob makes sure to charge his sons to bring him back up to Canaan and bury him there, in the same cave as Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. But notice what the emphasis is as Jacob charges his sons. Four times he mentions that this piece of land was purchased from this man, Ephron the Hittite. FOUR TIMES. Why? I think the reason is this: Even Canaan was never really HOME for Jacob. EGYPT wasn't home. But ultimately, neither was CANAAN. It was full of Hittites. Even Canaan was never home.
Hebrews 11 tells us: “By faith [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. . .All these died in faith. . .having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. . .as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them."
Jacob had lived in Canaan for a long time. And in the latter years of his life he had lived in Egypt. But now he's finally going HOME. And it's the same for us. Going to be with the Lord is GOING HOME.
The other night one of my girls said: “Daddy, I don't want to die.” I said: “You know what? I don't want to either.” But for believers, death isn't something we have to be afraid of. Because for us, dying isn't like embarking on some kind of scary and uncertain journey; it's actually coming home from one. If you're a Christian, the plane you're getting on isn't going to some unknown destination. It's taking you HOME. For us, right now, in this life, even when we're home we're never home. Just like Jacob, here we're strangers, foreigners, exiles; but when we cross over that wave, we finally get to go home.
Have you ever watched a war movie? What do the soldiers always talk about? They always talk about what it's going to be like to finally get to go home. They can't wait. They're on the battle-field, they're fighting for their lives. And they just long for the day they can go home. Guys, that's us. We're soldiers on the battle field. We're fighting the good fight. We have the scars to prove it. We've won and lost battles. But in Jesus we conquer, and the day He calls us is the day we finally, finally get to go home.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5: “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be AT HOME with the Lord.” To depart from THIS life is to GO HOME to Jesus.
We have a dear friend here with us who has experienced the joy of just having his son released from jail, after sitting there unjustly for so many months. And we're praising God for what He did this last week. And I hope it's okay for me to use your story as an example, but I think it fits in perfectly with what we're talking about. Now, if I had been the son of our friend, I would have been scared to go into that prison. But when they came and woke me up that morning and told me I was free to go, “scared” is not the adjective I would use. He's been waiting for this for 14 months. To get out and finally go home. To be with his dad again. And actually, I don't know who was more looking forward to him getting out of prison: I think our friend wanted his son to get out even more than his son did! And I wish I could have been there to just see what it was like. To see the moment his son walks out of the prison and to see his father just wrap his arms around him and weep.
Guys, going home to Jesus. You can use lots of adjectives: Excited. Can't wait. Longing. There's lots of words you could use to describe it. But one word you never need to use is scared. This body and this world in so many ways is like that prison. And your Savior's heart yearns for you. So when they come to tell you you're free to go, you can be sure He's waiting there on the other side for you. And his heart is bursting to see you. And to wrap his arms around you. You're going home to Jesus.
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