Look with me at the very first time Jesus reminds his disciples that He is going to die and rise again. Let’s look at Luke 9:21-22, Mark 8:31-33, and Matthew 16:21-23. One thing of note here is that Peter, representing the disciples, rebukes Jesus, saying that this can’t be. This of course is a knee jerk reaction because Peter loves Jesus and cannot bear the thought of losing Him. I think we may have reacted the same way. Jesus responds by saying, “get behind me Satan.” Peter is not thinking of this from a Godly perspective knowing that this is God’s plan, but from a human mindset bent on his selfish desires.

And, this is where we come in today. When we think of death, we often are not thinking of God’s plan, but our own selfish desires. We obviously don’t want to die, regardless if it is in God’s timing. And, we will do anything we can to avoid it. But, in the midst of our selfish never ending pursuit to preserve our lives here, we are missing the fact that God has a greater purpose and plan for our deaths. Just as he had a plan for the death of Christ, he has a plan for our deaths. We never talk about death in a good way do we? But what is promised to those who die in Christ? Aren’t we promised resurrection? Aren’t we promised eternal life?

Listen, we can’t get to the resurrection of Christ without the cross, and we can’t get to glorified life promised to all believers without dying first. Get this, God has a great plan for your death, for the death of a Christian always brings new life. A lack of fear from death born from a hope of rising again in Christ is a powerful testimony that the lost cannot ignore. That is why today, I invite you to come and see the good news of your dying in Christ, the Gospel of Death.