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| What Happens When I Die? |
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What Happens When I Die? Luke 24:13-35 Delivered by Andy Langford on February 14, 2010 Now on the first day of Easter, two of Jesus' followers were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. The two followers were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As the two followers talked . . . with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but the two followers were kept from recognizing him. Jesus asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" The two followers stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Jesus, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" the stranger asked. The two followers replied, "About Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Jesus over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that Jesus was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. The women went to the tomb early this morning but did not find Jesus' body. The women came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said Jesus was alive. . . . ." Jesus said to the two, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As the two followers approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But the two followers urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So Jesus went in to stay with them. When Jesus was at the table with the two, he took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, and he disappeared from their sight. The two followers asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while Jesus talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" The two followers got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way to Emmaus, and how Jesus was recognized by them when Jesus broke the bread. Luke 24:13-35 (adapted) Death always shocks us. I remember the day my grandfather died. My grandfather, we called him Daddy Dan, had leukemia and had fought his cancer for five years. On the last day of Daddy Dan’s life, members of our family gathered around his bed. My grandfather could not speak, therefore, we his family did all the talking. We told stories about him, shared family jokes, held hands, and offered prayers. We could not believe that this man -- a lawyer, rascal, Christian, father of two families, and businessman -- was leaving us. His breathing became more labored as his lungs filled with fluid. Finally, his life slipped away. There was a profound silence in the room as we each said goodbye. We knew that death was near, yet my grandfather’s death stunned all of us. Most of us try to avoid death. We place dying people in institutions not only to comfort them but also help us deny death. We exercise, take vitamins, and eat more vegetables to slow down the aging process. Most of us act as if death is a misfortune that happens only to other people. Sigmund Freud once wrote: "No one really believes in his own death." In spite of our attempts to avoid death, however, all of us will die. The Bible does not attempt to spare us from death. Scriptures sum up human existence with these words: AFor everything there is a season, . . . a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). We read these words at Tommie Tomlin’s funeral last Sunday. As Christians, we accept our own death as an inevitable part of life. Accepting the inevitability of death, however, does not help us avoid death’s pain. I was once visiting with an older man whose wife who had just died. This man told about me about his wife, describing the good times they shared. This man protested the unfairness of death. He said, "She lived to be seventy-five. I guess I should be grateful for that. Some people would say that she had a full life. I say her life was not long enough!" For this older man, death came like an intruder, robbing him of a deep, abiding companionship. All of us grieve when we lose a mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, child, or friend. All of us hate death. Even our God knows what it means to die. After his arrest and trial, Jesus was crucified on a cross. At the end of three long hours, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "It is finished!” (John 19:30). When Jesus' body was taken off the cross, Jesus' followers wrapped Jesus' body and placed it in a tomb. When these friends had laid Jesus' body in the tomb, they rolled a large stone against its entrance (John 19:38-42). Our God died. God truly knows what it is like to lose life. Yet, God was not defeated by death. On the Sunday morning after Jesus' death, a group of women came to Jesus' tomb. These women arrived early that morning and encountered something totally unexpected. An angel had rolled the stone away and spoke: AThere is nothing to fear. I know you are looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. Jesus is not here. He was raised from the dead” (Matthew 28:5-6). Filled with a combination of shock and joy, the women rushed back to Jesus= followers and told them what happened. Jesus' resurrection tells us that death has finally been conquered. Yet, is Jesus’ resurrection true? At first, the disciples did not believe the women. Jesus’ disciple, Thomas, doubted longer than most (John 20:24-29). The two followers on the road to Emmaus did not believe the women and were fleeing town in fear that the authorities would arrest and kill them. Many people still wonder if the resurrection actually occurred. Alternative possibilities have been proposed. Some skeptics say that Jesus' body was stolen from the tomb before anyone arrived. Other critics suggest that Jesus' followers were so overwhelmed with grief that his appearances can be explained as a collective hallucination. As a contemporary historian has written: "In all the tragic dramas of antiquity ... the hero . . . reaches his pinnacle only to be cut down. Only in the drama of Jesus does the opposite pattern hold: the hero is cut down only to be raised up." [Thomas Cahill, The Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus (New York: Doubleday, 1999) p. 8] Something truly remarkable had taken place on Easter. Jesus was no longer in his tomb. A group of defeated and despondent men and women suddenly became brave witnesses. These followers were willing to be tortured and killed rather than deny their experience of the resurrection. These witnesses to Jesus' resurrection were willing to die themselves because they believed that death no longer has the final word. For Christians today, Jesus' resurrection radically alters our approach to life here and now. Through the resurrection, we believe that the risen Christ is with us. Even though Jesus lived two thousand years ago, he still walks alongside us -- providing comfort when we are heartbroken and guidance when we feel lost. We believe that Jesus is alive and more supportive than even our closest friends. We have the assurance that we are not alone. Beyond the changes here and now, the resurrection also declares that for we who believe in Jesus that death is not the end. Like the first witnesses, we believe that death is not the final chapter in the story of our lives, but an introduction to an entirely new book. Through Jesus, we also share in the promise of new life. As Jesus promised his disciples, AI go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Death is not a period but a comma. The resurrection also completely changes how we experience the death of people we love and everyone who follows Christ. In the past month, we have celebrated life beyond death for Sam Myers, Gloria Gressle, Branson Jones, and Tommie Tomlin. We believe that everyone who follows Jesus will die, but all of us will also live beyond death. Let us go a little deeper. What happens when we die? This question has been answered in many different ways in many different religions. Christians believe that each of us is an integrated combination of body and soul. In death both the body and soul truly die. Yet in our resurrection, both the body and soul will live forever. We believe that there is some essential continuity between all that we are here on earth and our future life with God. There is much speculation, but we do not know exactly what our new selves after death will be like. I doubt if we will have wings and float among the clouds playing harps. Our own resurrection may not involve a literal reviving of our bodies, but a re-creation of everything that makes us human. After our own deaths, we can see and be seen, touch and be touched, as the real people that we are. What about heaven and hell? And is there really a heaven and a hell? The Bible uses metaphors to help us picture what the next life may be like. Heaven is described in the Bible as a beautiful garden or an orchard. Heaven is also described as a vibrant, bustling city full of dynamic citizens. I believe that we should not be so concerned with exactly what heaven will be like. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, AI wonder whether they have rum and Coke in heaven . . . as a drink at the end of the day? Except, of course, the sun never goes down there. Oh, man, this heaven is going to take some getting used to. One consistent theme is that heaven is where we are free from anything that holds us back in this world. We are free of our weaknesses and disabilities. We are free to love other people and love ourselves. We are free from sabotaging our relationships with other people and with God. Human beings are most real in heaven because in heaven we are simply how God intended us to be. In heaven we will be more than we are now. Such a heaven is one for which I look forward. At the other extreme, Scripture depicts as a place of chaos and complete separation from God. Hell may be a place of absolute silence, or filled with fire. Christians are divided about what or where hell is. More important than where exactly hell is or what it looks, hell names the possibility that in the life beyond we may have no relationship with God. Hell may be reserved for people, not because of some specific evil action, but because they choose not to be in a relationship with God. Hell may be but a self-imposed prison. All I really know is that hell is a place I do not want to be. Death is real. The pain of loss is real. But as Christians we also believe that the resurrection is real. God offers each of us a place we call heaven where we will join with all God’s saints, reconnect with our loved ones, feast at a great banquet, and be in close communion with Jesus Christ. God’s ultimate gift of life beyond death offers us is hope beyond grief. I began this sermon with a story about two followers of Jesus, quite possibly a husband and wife. Imagine this couple fleeing Jerusalem. Only a week ago they came to Jerusalem to be with Jesus. Now the couple is fleeing for their lives. Jesus is dead and all their dreams ended. But then, Jesus discovered them on that road to Emmaus and transformed their lives. For us, our lives are different because the resurrected Jesus has met us on the roads we travel. Jesus is no longer just a miraculous healer and great teacher of the past, Jesus is also guiding our lives today. It makes a difference in my life knowing that in my life’s journey that Jesus Christ walks beside me. When I face confusion, fear, and struggles, I am not alone. Nor are you. Beyond knowing Jesus is with us now, we also live with hope that after death there is still more to come. This life, with its challenges and limitations, is not the only life either you or I will live. Someday, God in Christ Jesus will set us free to soar where Christ now is. This morning, as we join at the table of Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and eyes open. Especially as we consider the deaths of people we loved and love, as we consider our own deaths, is there any hope? What happens when we die? If we are alert, like those two followers, this morning we may experience the presence of a mysterious companion. We may find that even though you may not always recognize Jesus, he has been with you all along the journey of life. Who is it that is breaking the bread and sharing the cup? Who is walking down the aisle with you? Who is eating with you? You never know who you might meet in life=s journey. Just remember: AIn life, in death, in life beyond death, we are never alone. Thanks be to God. Amen. This I Believe What Happens When I Die? Death of my grandfather Avoiding death & Inevitability of death The pain of death The Resurrection of Jesus Is the Resurrection true? Doubting Disciples & Other skeptics Transformation of Jesus= followers What difference does the Resurrection make? Changes our lives here and now Changes our view of the future What happens when we die? Bodily resurrection Heaven: free to be fully human Hell: no relationship with God God is with us beyond death |