letter from exile 10
God’s Word: John 3:16-17
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Reflection:
It used to be the case that the endzone of every college football game had some fan/evangelist holding up a poster reading: JOHN 3:16. The idea was that some unsuspecting person would see the sign, google it, and by stumbling upon this verse would give his/her life to Christ. I am quite pessimistic that this approach worked, although I am quite confident that the non-Christian in the row behind the fan/evangelist grew annoyed if the poster board blocked his view for too long.
Our uber advanced hospitals have been our functional saviors and they would keep us alive forever... until they couldn’t.
But I suppose there is a deeper reason why this technique was minimally successful. I wonder if it is because Jesus’ longing that none would “perish” feels outright silly to a modern audience. Who is perishing? Modern science, it seems, can keep us alive forever. We have face creams and jeans that make us look forever 21. Our uber advanced hospitals have been our functional saviors and they would keep us alive forever... until they couldn’t.
By and large, many of us have insulated ourselves from the stark and inevitable reality of death. It is not a popular subject to talk about. But you need to hear it. You are going to die. I pray fervently that you and your loved ones are not numbered among the ~.2% of deaths for having contracted COVID-19. But it could happen. Even if you escape this crisis unscathed, your fate is still sealed. All of us will die.
We are not immune to death. But guess what? God wasn’t either. Jesus speaking about himself in the 3rd person, says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…” Do you know what Jesus is referencing when he says that God “gave” his only Son? He gave him over to die.
See, Jesus stepped out of heaven and robed himself with humanity. He lived a perfect life (one that you and I should have lived) and then he died. The sentence of death (that will happen to you and everyone you love) is nothing that God himself did not endure first. See God died on a Friday afternoon 2000 years ago. He didn’t accidentally contract COVID-19. Jesus marched valiantly toward the cross to die.
Why? So that your eventual death would not be the end of the story. So that upon death, eternal life would begin. You and I will suffer the pain of death. But we do not have to suffer the penalty of death. Jesus entered into the pain of death, and took our penalty. He was innocent, but he died in our place.
Every year, I read a small book called, Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff. Wolterstorff is a theologian whose son died suddenly in a tragic accident. The book is really his journal that captures the anguish, sadness, and hope amid tragedy. I read it regularly so that my heart never becomes numb to the stark possibility of my worst nightmare happening--losing a child. By God’s grace, it hasn't happened to me. But it did happen to God. He lost a child to death.
The death of the Son of God means that you will not perish eternally, but rather have eternal life. Do you believe this?
Thankfully, not all deaths are equal. The death of the Son of God means that you will not perish eternally, but rather have eternal life. Do you believe this? No, I am not asking you to raise up some obnoxious sign. I am asking you to write this onto your heart.
Postscript: I realize that this post is a little ominous. I didn’t set out to make it so. But we need to allow this conversation to enter back into our homes and dinner tables. It is not comfortable, but it would be a far worse fate to confront death without having first explored it at Jesus’ side.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for giving me your Son. His death is the death which makes ultimate death untrue for me and my children. I am sorry if I have been lazy and careless with my thankfulness to you. It is not a small thing to give me your Son so that I could live. Spirit, would you help me to singularly organize my hope around the truth of this gospel message? I need help desperately. I don’t like to think about these things, but you are graciously forcing the issue. Teach me to receive your instruction. I am prone to bombard my life with petty things so that I don’t have to dwell on hard realities. Lord, I don’t want to be macabre, but I do want to be urgent and hopeful. Help me today, I ask in your Son’s name, Amen.
Praying outside of ourselves:
Pray that all people everywhere would have a sincere heart-check with regard to death, and to receive the One who died for the whole world.
Pray for those with symptoms of COVID-19 who are quarantined alone to fight the sickness.
Pray for peace and grace for those who are experiencing anxiety because a loved one must still continue at work where contracting the virus is a risk.
Pray for those who have lost their jobs due to a stalled economy.