MAX LUCADO: From empty tomb to eternal home, what happens when we die

Several years ago, I received an urgent telephone to sojourn a dying antheral successful the hospital. I didn’t cognize Ray well, but I knew him good capable to cognize helium was paying a precocious terms for his hard living. Though he’d marque bid with God done Christ, his liver was successful struggle with his body.

When his ex-wife phoned me, she was lasting astatine his bedside. Ray, she explained, was knocking astatine death’s door. Though I hurried, helium entered it minutes earlier I arrived. The infirmary country had a "just happened" consciousness to it. The ex-wife saw maine participate and looked up. With eyes and words, she explained, "He conscionable left."

Ray silently slipped out. Departed. One infinitesimal here. The adjacent infinitesimal … where? He passed, not away, but on. Yet connected to where? And successful what form? To what place? And, erstwhile there, what did helium see? We truthful tendency to know.

Who successful your beingness "just left?" When the breathing of your spouse ceased, the beating bosom successful your womb stopped, oregon the beep of your grandmother’s show became a flat-lined tone, what happened successful that moment?

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The question this Easter is wherever bash Christians spell erstwhile they die? (iStock)

And what volition hap to you successful yours? Barring the instrumentality of Christ, you volition person 1 … a past breath, a last pulse. And … past what? What volition we beryllium aft we die? What volition happen? Answers vary.

Nothing, immoderate radical say. We volition decay and oregon disintegrate. Death is simply a dormant end. Our works and estimation mightiness survive, but not us.

Or, we go portion of the universe. Eternity absorbs america similar a water absorbs a raindrop. We instrumentality to what we were earlier we were what we are… we instrumentality to the cosmic consciousness of the universe.

Christianity, connected the different hand, posits a new, startling idea. "Death has been swallowed up successful victory" (1 Cor. 15:54 NIV). According to the committedness of the bare tomb, my person Ray awoke successful a satellite truthful wondrously amended than this 1 that it would instrumentality God himself to person Ray to instrumentality to earth.

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This is the Christian hope. This anticipation is verified by the Easter miracle, that stunning infinitesimal we observe arsenic Easter. Do you cognize this miracle?

What happened to Christ?

It was Sunday greeting aft the Friday execution. The entity was dark. The disciples had scattered. And the Roman executioner was wondering astir meal oregon enactment oregon his adjacent time off. But helium was not wondering astir the chap helium had nailed to a transverse and pierced with a spear. Jesus was dormant and buried. Yesterday’s news. Right?

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Wrong.

"There was a convulsive earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from eden and, going to the tomb, rolled backmost the chromatic and sat connected it. His quality was similar lightning, and his apparel were achromatic arsenic snow. The guards were truthful acrophobic of him that they shook and became similar dormant men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not beryllium afraid, for I cognize that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; helium has risen, conscionable arsenic helium said. Come and spot the spot wherever helium lay.’" (Matt. 28:2-6 NIV)

The congregation follows on to the Lord's Prayer. Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley celebrates Solemn Mass connected Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, astatine the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.  ((Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images))

And retired helium marched, the cadaver-turned-king, with the disguise of decease successful 1 manus and the keys of eden successful the other. He has risen!

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We cognize what happened to Christ erstwhile helium died. What happens to those who judge him?

What Happens to Christians?

Simple, due to the fact that the tomb is empty, the committedness of Christ is not. If you spot Christ with your life, helium volition instrumentality attraction of you successful death.

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When you die, your tone volition instantly participate the beingness of God. You volition bask conscious fellowship with the heavenly Father and with those who person gone before. Your assemblage volition articulation you later. We judge this is existent due to the fact that of scriptures similar this one: "We are confident, I say, and would similar to beryllium distant from the assemblage and astatine location with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8 NIV).

When Ray’s ex-wife asked maine what happened to him, I could rightly say, "He is distant from his assemblage and astatine location with the Lord."

Have you made this the anticipation for your life? If not, doesn’t it marque consciousness that you bash so? Doesn’t it marque consciousness that you cognize your destination?

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Travelers do. I’ve engaged successful dozens of airplane conversations successful my life. When I’ve asked, "Where are you headed?" radical ever person an answer.

This is the Christian hope. This anticipation is verified by the Easter miracle, that stunning infinitesimal we observe arsenic Easter. 

Every traveler worthy a formation mile knows that the intent of the level is to transportation america from 1 spot to the next. Do you recognize that the intent of this beingness is to bash the same? You were made for much than airplane peanuts and in-flight entertainment. You were made to spell home.

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Jesus Christ roseate from the dead, not conscionable to amusement you his power, but to uncover your path. Just similar helium did for my person Ray, He volition pb you done the vale of death. He volition pb you home.

"Death has been swallowed up successful victory" (Cor. 15:54).

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